Chattogram administrator orders officials to meet target of planting one million trees within a year

Chattogram City Corporation administrator Dr Shahadat Hossain has directed officials to work with greater responsibility to meet the target of planting one million trees in the city to build a 'Green Chattogram'. He gave the instruction at a coordination meeting on beautification and greening on Tuesday (27 October).

At the meeting, the administrator reviewed progress on roadside tree planting and beautification in the city, stressing planned planting along roads and in open spaces. The meeting also noted there is no alternative to extensive greening to protect the environment, tackle the adverse effects of climate change and build a liveable city.

Dr Shahadat Hossain said the prime minister has announced the planting of 250 million trees in five years. In line with that goal, the city corporation, with the cooperation of various social organisations, has set a target of planting one million trees in the city.

The administrator said around 200,000 trees have been planted in the past year from the airport to Mohra and from City Gate to Karnaphuli. The programme to plant one million trees must be implemented within the next year, he told officials.

He said all the mid-islands from Kalurghat to the airport are being filled with flowers and greenery. On the road island between Dewanhat and Barik Building, around ten species of declining native trees have been planted, including jarul, sonalu, radhachura, kamini, kanchan, hasnahena, gondhoraj and sheuli.

Arrangements have also been made to maintain the planted trees. Watering and weeding are done daily, and flowers of many colours are in bloom in the airport area.

The administrator said the beautification of Airport Road has won praise from city residents, with people taking photographs there and enjoying the scenery. Such initiatives must be extended to other important places in the city, especially roads and areas with heavy footfall.

As areas that can be made attractive in a planned way, he named Firingibazar Road, the roundabout beside Karnaphuli Park, the Access Road in the Agrabad commercial area, and the roads in front of Chittagong College and Government Haji Muhammad Mohsin College.

Stressing creativity in beautification, the administrator said spending a large amount of money does not by itself make a place beautiful; an attractive environment can be created at low cost with proper planning and aesthetic design. He spoke of taking opinions from architects and designers and involving private institutions and social organisations, and also stressed examining the possibility of a cycle lane on the Agrabad Access Road.

The administrator directed renovation and maintenance to preserve the beauty of important areas including Probartak Mor, Golpahar, the Medical College area roundabout and Jamalkhan. He also announced the restoration of portraits of eminent people on busy roads such as Jamalkhan that have lost colour or been covered by posters, and said memorialising the heroes of the Liberation War and the martyrs of the July-August movement could be considered.

Cleanliness and discipline were also stressed at the meeting. Officials were directed to keep footpaths, pedestrian benches and open spaces clean, protect the environment of recreation centres including DC Hill Park, and play a responsible role in preventing drug-related activity and public nuisance.

The city corporation's acting chief executive officer and secretary Mohammad Ashraful Amin, chief engineer Anisur Rahman and slum development officer Moinul Hossain Ali Joy were present at the meeting.