Barishal Correspondent :
In Patuakhali, in the name of canal renovation, more than half a hundred trees belonging to individuals have been cut down. Local residents are shocked by such activities of the project managers. They also expressed their anger at the cutting of trees.
The owner of the affected tree complained that the matter was brought to the notice of the concerned officials of LGED including the divisional forest officer, but they also did not take any action due to unknown reasons.
The victim alleged that he was not informed before the development project started or during the felling of trees. No advance notice was even given for removal of trees for canal renovation. In addition, the locals requested not to destroy the trees in this way, but the concerned did not heed it. These trees of the person named Sohrab Hossain of Bahalgachia village of Kalikapur Union of PatuakhaliSadar Upazila were cut down on Monday.
Sohbar Hossain is a journalist by profession, working as Patuakhali correspondent of The Daily Star.
Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) Patuakhali Sadar Upazila office informed that under the ‘Sustainable Small Scale Water Resources Development’ project, LGED took the initiative to renovate the Bahalgachia Canal (south side of Ishaq Model College) in Kalikapur Union. More than half a hundred mahogany trees planted on the land of journalist Sohrab Hossain on the banks of the canal were uprooted.
Sohrab alleged that he was not informed before the development project started or during the felling of trees. Even for the removal of trees for canal renovation, no advance notice was given.
In addition, the locals requested not to destroy the trees in this way, but the concerned did not heed it. Again, there are other houses on the bank of the canal, but not even a branch of the trees of those houses was cut.
Sohrab Hossain said, “I was not informed before cutting the mahogany trees. Where the government encourages everyone to plant trees, deforestation in the name of government schemes is by no means desirable.
I could have planned the removal of the trees if they had informed me earlier. By not doing so, they have caused irreparable damage to the environment as well as my financial loss. I have informed the LGED, Forest Department and other concerned parties and demanded its remedy.
In this regard, LGED’s Patuakhali Sadar Upazila Engineer Borhan Mehdi said that there is no rule to do government work by damaging someone’s personal property. Necessary measures will be taken after investigating the matter on the spot.
Divisional Forest Officer Safiqul Islam told “I have heard about it. There is no rule for cutting trees like this. In this case, if the victim files a written complaint, a case will be filed against the concerned contractor.