The metro rail project is expected to make life easier for Dhaka commuters but it comes with the price of over thousand trees being cut down in the process. Although the authorities have agreed to make up for it by planting ‘ornamental’ trees, environmentalists say are of the view that trees of local varieties instead of the decorative ones are the way to go.
According to Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC), nearly 1,100 trees were felled between Mirpur 10 intersection and the Farmgate-Banglamotor area in the course of the construction of metro rail.
The city corporation had placed a condition of planting three trees for one felled during the implementation of the project.
“We called the metro rail authorities to monitor the implementations of the agreement that we had with them after Eid,” DNCC Mayor Md Atiqul Islam told Bangla Tribune.
Dhaka Mass Transit (MRT) Company Ltd Managing Director MA Siddique said that ‘ornamental’ trees would be planted under the metro rail via ducts. “We’ll plant three times more trees.”
Environmentalists, however, say that if the new trees are not planted in place of the ones cut off, it will have a negative impact on the environment and besides, the roads can be beautified with real trees.
Rights body Poribesh Bachao Andolan (POBA) General Secretary Md Abdus Sobhan said that Dhaka city lacks adequate water and trees and the trees being cut off has led to the temperature variation in several areas.
Saying that those responsible for the implementation of the development projects have to make good on the conditions of the agreements, he added, “It’s not just the city corporation’s job but the Environment Department’s as well.”
Sobhan who served as an additional director for the Environment Department said that local trees should be planted instead of ornamental ones.