Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC), in collaboration with Plant Scholar, on Sunday inaugurated a programme to plant 10,000 trees in Kamrangirchar under the initiative titled “Tree Scholarship and Green City Development”.
A discussion and tree plantation programme was held at Barogram Battery Ghat Road and adjacent areas of the Buriganga River to mark the launch of the initiative.
DSCC to plant 300,000 trees over five years
Dhaka Central University Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Md Nurul Islam chaired the programme while DSCC Administrator Abdus Salam attended it as the chief guest. Dhaka-7 constituency lawmaker Hamidur Rahman Hamid was present as a special guest.
DSCC Administrator Md Abdus Salam said merely planting trees would not be enough to protect the environment.“Alongside planting trees, we must keep our rivers, canals, drains and roads clean and build a social movement for environmental protection.”
He urged people from all walks of life to join the movement to ensure a safe planet for future generations.
Referring to the target of planting 250 million trees across the country over the next five years, he said the Sundarbans protect the coastal areas from disasters such as cyclones, while large-scale tree plantation across the country could play a significant role in maintaining environmental balance.
He urged teachers, students and political leaders and activists to plant at least one tree each from their respective positions.
Emphasising cleanliness and protection of the Buriganga, Abdus Salam said an initiative would be taken during the next dry season to dredge the river channel to restore its navigability.
He also urged citizens not to dump polythene or waste into drains and rivers.
The administrator also called for building a social resistance against drug abuse alongside environmental protection efforts.
On infrastructure development in Kamrangirchar, he said construction of an eight-lane road is underway in the area to facilitate the movement of vehicles from 21 southern districts entering Dhaka via the Padma Bridge.
He said Tk 236.48 crore has been allocated for the project in the current fiscal year, while 48 percent of the work has already been completed. The project is expected to be completed by June 2027, he added.
Speakers at the programme called upon all to play responsible role in tree plantation, river protection, cleanliness drives and dengue prevention.