The country is burning under an intense sun and daily life is in disarray, with reports of people dying of heatstroke. People are taking all sorts of steps in search of some relief, and many have begun planting trees to escape the heat. But experts believe tree planting at this time of year will not bear fruit.

Experts say the right time to plant trees in Bangladesh is the monsoon, when saplings are more likely to survive. Trees can be planted during the current severe heatwave, but they must be watered regularly, and even then fewer than 10 per cent are likely to survive. The interest in tree planting that has grown among people must be kept alive and put to use at the right time.

In recent days temperatures of 35 to 42.6 degrees have swept various districts. Because of the severe heatwave, a heat alert issued by the Meteorological Department has been in force nationwide since 19 April, and the authorities have closed schools, colleges and madrasas. Several people have already died of heatstroke.

Environmentalists blame the loss of forest cover for the severe heatwave and are stressing tree planting. Chhatra League, the student wing of the ruling Awami League, has launched a drive to plant five lakh trees across the country in 10 days and has instructed its units to carry out the programme between 21 and 30 April. Following the instructions, leaders and activists of various units, including Lakshmipur, Netrokona, Rajshahi district, Sylhet district and Chandpur district, have planted trees.

Asked whether this was the right time to plant trees, Syeda Rizwana Hasan, chief executive of the Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA) and a Supreme Court lawyer, told Jagonews24: "There is no such thing as a right or wrong time to plant trees. If you plant a tree now and care for it, water it regularly, the monsoon will come in a few days anyway and the tree will survive. In our country many people, even the forest department, plant trees, but they do not survive for lack of care. That is where the problem lies. Now political parties are suddenly announcing plans to plant 5–10 lakh trees. To me these look like political stunts. The heat might come, the country's forest land and greenery are shrinking; in these realities, the work of planting trees should have been done earlier."

Delwar Hossain, an environmentalist and the Awami League's forest and environment affairs secretary, said: "The right time for tree planting in our region is the monsoon, that is, June, July, August and September. There is rain then, and trees planted survive. Those caught up in the craze now will not be found when the planting season comes. Still, the realisation that we must plant trees to protect ourselves from heat is positive. It must be put to use at the right time."

"Tree planting will depend on the availability of water," he said. "That water can come naturally or people can supply it themselves. Generally, if someone plants a tree at this time and can water it every day, the tree may survive, but the chances are slim. Fewer than 10 per cent will survive."

Professor Kamruzzaman of the environmental science department at Stamford University said: "April and May are in no way a suitable time to plant trees. The time to plant is June, July, August and September; in other words, trees should be planted in the monsoon. For now, perhaps plants can be grown in pots indoors, but to plant outside one must wait."

Chhatra League general secretary Sheikh Wali Asif Inan said: "In truth, when trees are planted, 100 per cent never survive. We will try to give the maximum care to keep alive as many as possible."

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