Abdul Awal Mintoo, minister for environment, forest and climate change, has sought the cooperation of deputy commissioners (DCs) in implementing the tree-planting programme under the government's election manifesto.

He told journalists this on Wednesday (6 May) after the second session of the fourth and final day of the DC conference at Osmani Memorial Auditorium in the capital. The session was held with the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and the Ministry of Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs.

Under the BNP's election manifesto, 25 crore tree saplings are to be planted in five years. The programme has already begun.

The environment minister said: "In Bangladesh's administrative system and constitutional structure, as in other countries there is a local government that is strong. We have union councils and upazila councils, and now we also have zila parishads. But the zila parishad is not that active or strong. So whatever measures we want to take from the ministry, whatever activities we take up, whatever we want to implement, our main key is still the district administration."

Abdul Awal Mintoo said: "Whatever activities we take up, whether you call it tree planting, reducing air pollution or waste management, none of it is possible at that level without their help and cooperation. So we are also listening to their problems. But we are also telling them that the activities we take up, those in hand and those we will take up, they should cooperate with us with full energy so that they are implemented properly."

Asked what proposals the DCs had made, the minister said: "They talked about the law and order situation and the political situation. They did not raise anything problematic that we needed to answer."

Asked whether he had given any direction on farmland being grabbed and forests being cleared across the country, which local administrations at district and upazila level are supposed to control, the minister said: "We did not give any direction here. We have sought their cooperation so that our activities are implemented properly, and so that they play an effective role in whatever support our Department of Environment or Forest Department needs to make them effective."

Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs Minister Dipen Dewan then said: "As representatives of the centre, the DCs will always coordinate the district and keep a general watch. That is the direction we gave. This was already the case. We told them that if they handle things well, the situation will stay good. It is good now and it will be good in future. That was our direction."

The Cabinet Division later gave details of the issues discussed at the session in a press release.

On the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, it said the meeting discussed implementing the planting and conservation of 25 crore trees over the next five years under the government's plan, and recording gazetted forest land in the name of the Forest Department.

The meeting also discussed effective steps to prevent hill cutting and illegal sand extraction, recover encroached forest land, and not set up industries in ecologically critical areas.

On the Ministry of Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs, it said the meeting discussed effective steps to prevent hill cutting and tree felling in the hill districts, creating alternative livelihoods alongside jhum farming, and ensuring a supply of safe drinking water in the hill districts.

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