The Dhaka City Corporation is going to plant a controversial tree of North America and Chinese origin in the capital under its already-in-shambles tree plantation programme without conducting any test in regard to its environmental suitability.
On July 7, Mohammad Aminul Islam Bappi, a purchaser and distributor of Destiny 2000 Limited, submitted an application to the DCC chief engineer for plantation of Paulownia tree under public private partnership.
DCC's environment circle superintendent Mohammad Nurul Amin on Wednesday told New Age that this fast growing tree had many useful features — it becomes matured in six to eight years and grows 70 to 100 feet, takes carbon dioxide twice other trees, leaves more oxygen and provides better quality wood.
'But our local trees take a long time to grow and do not provide better quality wood,' he said, adding, 'If we plant this tree in our country, it would be a revolution.'
When his attention was attracted to the adverse impact of other such alien trees like eucalyptus and acacia on the environment, the DCC officer half-heartedly said they would run a test on the new species of tree.
The official procedure to implement the tree plantation, however, had already started.
The application of Destiny distributor said after the Paulownia Elongata (scientific name) get matured, the city corporation would get 80 per cent and Destiny Tree Plantation project would get 20 per cent of a tree's price.
The DCC environment circle executive engineer, Mohammad Towhid Siraj, however, said the application did not come in the proper way as there was no authorisation of the Destiny group.
A senior official of the environment circle, seeking anonymity, said this tree would hinder the growth of other trees around it.
'It should be properly examined before taking any decision,' he added.
Botanist and environmentalist, meanwhile, said it would be disastrous if the tree was planted without any test.
'It is a common phenomenon that if any tree grows in a foreign land, it will show some aggressive attitude, for adoption, to the native species,' said Dhaka University botany department associate professor Mohammad Zashim Uddin.
He said foreign trees usually may be aggressive in different ways like —absorbing more nutrition, water and light from the environment.
'Debate on planting and adverse effect of eucalyptus and acacia trees are going on for 30 years and how can we bring more foreign trees in our country,' he asked.
Mohammad Zashim Uddin said the country has many local trees — silkaroi, chapalish, garjan, jack fruit, mehagani and neem — which are fast-growing, have durable woods and, of course, not harmful for the environment.
He said only after thorough experiment and following the Plant Quarantine Act, 2011, it could be known whether foreign trees like Paulownia was harmful or not for the environment of Bangladesh.
He also urged the DCC officials concerned to discuss with experts before taking any decision to plant Paulownia in the city.
Dhaka University botany department chairman and professor Mohammad Abdul Aziz urged the DCC to bring Paulownia tree after thorough examination.
'We are against the entry of all kinds of foreign trees in our country,' said Bangladesh Paribesh Andalan president Mozaffer Ahmed.
He said the foreign species were destroying Bangladesh's environment as these were impeding the growth of local trees.
Source : New Age
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