Letters to the editor
Stop destruction of forest resources
Sir,
The official figure of lands under forest in Bangladesh is about 13 per cent though unofficially even the same is doubted. But even this official figure is also a poor one considering the needs of environmental safety.
Environmentalists may come up with all kinds of explanation for the worsening of conditions in this sphere such as the burgeoning population of the country creating pressures on limited trees and vegetation.
But the fact is that the reckless deforestation has a lot to do also with law enforcement the lack of which now allows the cutting down of trees from even reserved forest areas in most carefree manner.
A media focus sometime ago showed how rows and rows of trees on both sides of the Teknaf road were cut down by gangs. These trees were planted by governmental authorities and meant to be preserved. But is there anyone to be held accountable for their present cut down existence ? It seems not.
Similar reckless cutting down of trees which were considered as public resources were reported frequently in different parts of the country after this government came to power. But nobody was heard as arrested or punitive actions taken in response to the same. Thus, one such act of robbing trees is encouraging another.
The cutting down of privately owned trees can be responded by nothing more than publicities and moral persuasion. But it is duly expected from the government to protect absolutely the trees or forest resources directly under its control. There cannot be absolutely no scope for admitting any kind of slack in this vital area of concern for the countrys environment.
Successive governments have been encouraging and materially promoting tree plantation. But there is much worry about the ultimate gains to accrue from afforestation measures in the absence of hard policies to put a hard brake on deforestation activities as well; the rate of deforestation is significantly higher than the rate of afforestation.
The factors which are contributing the most to such deforestation will have to be addressed by various policy measures and their enforcement by the government. The same may include policies to encourage wood substitutes, stopping the burning of wood in brick kilns, etc. But meanwhile, the hardest of law enforcement activities are expected against the cutting down of publicly owned trees.
Anwar Mostafa, Narayangaj, Dhaka
