The gol palm is gradually disappearing from coastal areas. Climate change and the lack of cultivation and conservation are said to be among the main causes, and there are fears that the tree will vanish at an accelerating pace from settlements in the region. Environmentalists have urged greater care to protect it.

Gol palms were once found everywhere in coastal settlements, along canals, beels and riverbanks. Although the tree's name means "round", its leaves look like coconut fronds. It grows to about 15 to 20 feet or more and thrives in ordinary saline, silty soil. Wide open areas, canal banks and river chars are suitable places to grow it.

Seedlings sprout simply by burying the tree's seed head, known as gabna, in the soil; each gabna holds 125 to 150 seeds. Growing gol palms needs no large investment, and because it is easy and cheap it is highly profitable. It needs no chemical fertiliser, pesticide or care of any kind, and extra income can be earned by making molasses from its sap.

Although vast areas of the south are well suited to the tree, this promising species is on the way to extinction for lack of cultivation and upkeep. The effects of climate change, rising salinity, river erosion and a lack of care and maintenance are making the gol palm disappear from settlements.

The writer, Niamur Rashid Shihab, is a journalist and author.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.