Editorial
Felling trees yet once more
Such attitudes must be discarded
Trees certainly do not figure prominently in the Dhaka City Corporation's scheme of a healthy urban setting. A large number of trees were cut down for no good reason in the past and the latest plan of eliminating 52 old trees from the city's Gulshan area is a shocking reminder of the city fathers' insensitivity to the need for retaining the trees and all green patches in the metropolis. Of course, the DCC has by now stepped back from its plan in the face of a vigorous protest from environmental groups. But the question remains: why must it bring itself to a pass where public resistance compels it to abandon a project that everyone knows is a bad one in the first place?
It is really not clear why trees which render invaluable service to the environment should be chopped off ruthlessly in the name of implementing any development plan. In the Gulshan case, the trees were being felled because they stood in the way of the locality's further beautification (!) and obstructed the drainage system. Finally, a DCC official has tried to convince us that some individuals and organisations also supported the move. So, the stage was set for removing the trees.
Our observation is that there is something wrong in the beautification project that fails to attach due value to the wonderful trees that have an air of soothing loveliness about them. Beautification at the cost of the trees is something that few people would approve of. The second point raised by the DCC, that the trees have to be eliminated to facilitate the project for improving the storm water drainage also sounds rather unconvincing. Obviously, the trees can and should be saved through formulating a plan that does not require their elimination. It is a sad truth that our planners never lay much emphasis on saving the greenery. Thirdly, it is not at all clear why individuals and organisations should feel disturbed by the presence of trees in their locality. Even if anybody has lodged any complaint against the trees, the DCC should have thought twice before taking it seriously.
The environmentalists have been opposing the DCC's plan, but the point is whether they have succeeded in garnering enough public support in favour of their position. Felling of trees in the past evoked sharp reactions from civil society and all conscious citizens and in some cases their protests forced the slayers of trees to refrain from committing the crime. Obviously, saving trees has to be transformed into a movement. What needs to be guaranteed is that trees will be protected as a matter of principle.
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