In Jessore, hundreds of trees were cut down to pull power lines

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Sometimes the head of the tree is cut, sometimes from the middle, and sometimes from the root. Rows of mahogany, jackfruit, neem, banyan, shimul, acacia, raintree, bell, date palm and various species of trees are now standing in this condition. It seems that a storm has swept over hundreds of trees on both sides of the Bagharpara-Narikelbaria road in Jessore’s Bagharpara upazila.

Recently, such a scene was seen on that road. The local people complained that the people of Bagharpara Palli Vidyut Samiti cut the trees indiscriminately during the installation of power transmission lines.

According to Palli Vidyut sources, a transmission line of 33,000 volts is being constructed in an area of ​​about five kilometers from Bagharpara to Punia Bottala on the Bagharpara-Narikelbaria road to set up a substation in the Punia Battala area of ​​the upazila. For this, electricity poles are installed next to the road. About 200 trees were uprooted, their branches and in some cases their roots were cut off while pulling it.

According to Rural Electrification Board sources, 25 to 30 poles have been installed per kilometer. Accordingly, about 125 to 150 poles have been installed in five kilometers. However, several officials of the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) claimed that if the poles were placed at least five feet away from the road, the trees would not have suffered such damage.

The forest department of the upazila said that these trees planted on both sides of the road in the fiscal year 1997-98 have now grown. The trees have suffered severe damage in the recent felling. Bagharpara Upazila Forest Officer (Additional Duty) Abdul Quddus said that they were not informed about the cutting of trees. After learning about the matter, the Rural Electricity Authority was contacted. The persons concerned replied that it was not informed due to haste.

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Alauddin Molya (65) of Indra village regularly drives a van on the Bagharpara-Narikelbaria road. With regret, he said, the head, base and middle of the tree were cut to pull the electric wire. The shadow used to fall here. But after trimming the trees, the whole road is basking in the sun.

When asked about this, Deputy General Manager of Bagharpara Rural Electricity Association Sohanur Rahman said, Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board has constructed the transmission line. As a result, they are not responsible for cutting trees. However, Mithu Kumar, executive engineer of Jessore Rural Electrification Board, said that the contractor was instructed to cut branches on a limited scale. It was not allowed to cut the tree head or the whole tree. If something like that happened it was not right and the matter will be looked into.

Bagharpara Upazila Engineer Md. Abu Sufian said that the main cause of the problem is the installation of poles along the road. If planted at a distance, the trees would also survive, the convenience of road use would also increase.