Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) Administrator Abdus Salam has said planting trees alone was not enough to protect the environment, calling for a social movement alongside efforts to keep rivers, canals, drains and roads clean.
He made the remarks at the inauguration of a programme to plant 10,000 trees in Kamrangirchar under the ‘Tree Plantation and Green City Building’ initiative on Sunday.
Speaking as chief guest at a discussion at Borograam Batteryghat Road and Buriganga riverbank area in DSCC’s Ward 56, Abdus Salam said, “A target of planting 25 crore trees across the country has been set for the next five years,” he said. “Just as the Sundarbans protects the coast from cyclones, large-scale tree planting across the country will play a major 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.
DSCC Admin also said the government would undertake a dredging project to restore the Buriganga River’s navigability during the upcoming dry season. He also asked citizens not to dump polythene or waste into drains and rivers.
He called for building social resistance against drugs alongside environmental protection.
Regarding infrastructure development in Kamrangirchar, the DSCC administrator said construction of an eight-lane road was underway to facilitate vehicle entry from 21 southern districts via the Padma Bridge. A Tk236.48 crore allocation had been made for the project in the current fiscal year, with 48 per cent work already completed. The project is expected to be finished by June 2027.
Dhaka Central University Vice-Chancellor Nurul Islam presided over the event, with Dhaka-7 MP Hamidur Rahman Hamid attending as special guest.
Speakers called on all to play a responsible role in tree planting, river protection, cleanliness drives and dengue prevention.
