Ban on logging
Integrated efforts
by all to protect forests in the country are the need of
the hour
The cabinet on Monday approved a proposal of the Ministry of Environment and Forests to continue the ban on cutting trees in the countrys reserved and natural forests until 2022, according to a report in this newspaper yesterday. We welcome the initiative. The accepted standard is that a country must have at least 25 per cent of its total land area covered with forests to maintain the ecological balance but according to the Department of Forest (DoF) Bangladesh has now 13.2 per cent forest coverage. But the majority of the environmentalists believe that it is an inflated figure and the real forest coverage will not be more than 7-9 per cent.
An overpopulated country, Bangladesh is facing shortage of agricultural lands due to construction of dwelling houses, setting up of industries and unplanned urbanization. Acreage of forest lands is also decreasing. A section of unscrupulous people are dealing a severe blow to the greenery of the country.
The importance of forest resources of a country is immense for maintaining the balance of nature, environment, ecology and biodiversity. The trees that constitute the 7 per cent forest lands are being cut down indiscriminately. Hundreds of saw mills have sprung up without valid papers, though according to law saw mills cannot be set up within 10 kilometres of reserved, protected or vested government forests. The illegal timber traders and their cohorts are making quick bucks wreaking havoc to the environment and biodiversity of the country.
A section of dishonest forest department officials and employees, members of the law enforcement agencies and timber traders have formed a nexus in looting the trees. Sundarbans, the largest mangrove forest in the world that the country can take pride in, has also fallen prey to the vicious claws of the timber bandits. Scores of valuable trees of the forest have been cut down and looted during the past few years. Besides, trees are being used in brick kilns indiscriminately for burning bricks despite the ban on the use of the same. A section of owners of brick fields are engaged in this malpractice.
If the present trend of widespread destruction of trees goes on in the country, it will leave a serious impact on the environment, ecology and biodiversity of the country. Integrated efforts by all to protect forests in the country are the need of the hour. Creation of mass awareness can also bring the desired results.
