RAJSHAHI, Apr 25: A large number of dead trees standing beside different roads in the Barind region are posing a threat to passersby.
During the current nor'wester season, those roads have become risky for people to pass through.
Snapping of electric connection or injuring of people passing through such roads due to impact of fallen trees have become a common incident in the region.
Often, the traffic movement in those roads remained snapped for hours due to falling of those trees on roads due to strong wind or storm.
Though those trees are dead for a long time, concerned authorities did not take any action either to remove those or to sell those through inviting tenders.
Due to lack of attention from Barind Multipurpose Development Authority (BMDA), these valuable dried-up trees were being damaged and the government was losing a huge amount of revenue.
According to sources, to save Barind region from the impact of desertification, the authorities of BMDA, Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) and the Department of Environment and Forest have jointly been planting trees beside roads, ponds and Khas lands for decades.
It is learnt, the falling of dead, dried trees on vehicles passing through those roads and even on passersby on Tanore-Amnura road and on Mondumala-Godagari road, has become common in recent days.
Moreover, on the roads of Nachole, Rohanpur and Gomastapur upazilas of Chapainawabganj district, Niamatpur, Porsha and Patnitola upazilas of Naogaon district, a good numbers of dead and dried mahogany, mango, shishu and Eucalyptus trees are still standing.
Bus and auto drivers who ply their vehicles through the roads said that even a slight storm or rain caused the calloapse of large number of dead trees on the road when they will have no way to move their vehicles through those roads. Rather they have to stand onroad for hours until the roads are cleared.
They further said the risk of falling pf trees increases many fold during the summer to rainy seasons.
Abul Kalam Azad, former chairman of Badhair union under Tanore upazila, said during visiting through Rajshahi to Amnura recently, a dead Shishu tree fell on the CNG-driven auto-rickshaw carrying him near Tailpara Bridge.
Though the vehicle was damaged, he could come out from the vehicle safely.
He said the consequence would be fatal if the tree fall on his head. Falling of dead trees on roads has become a regular incident in the area.
In this connection, Shariful Islam, assistant engineer of BMDA, Tanore, said the trees planted beside the roads of Barind region do not belong to BMDA only, those are also owned by the Department of Forest and the LGED.
But, he admitted, some dead, dried trees of BMDA were also standing on the roadside and the work of counting and numbering of such trees are going on.
On completion of the work, the tender for sale of those dead trees will be invited in consultation with LGED and the department of forestry.
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