Forests must not fall victim to business
Over the years, we have witnessed many forests falling victim to business and development—the one in Chattogram's Tulatoli area is just one of them. It started when 5,000 trees were felled in a five-acre area of the forest, and a ship-breaking yard took their place. But then, the Forest Department fought back leading to the yard being sealed off last year, with the lease agreement cancelled. Unfortunately, however, the department's efforts were then thwarted as the divisional commissioner overruled the order last month, allowing the yard to resume its activities, as per a recent report. This is most certainly a depressing turn of events.
What possible reason could there be for the divisional authority to support the destruction of nature? The lease agreement—signed in February 2022 between the district administration and yard owner Kohinoor Steel—was to use part of a 400-acre mangrove forest developed in 1983-1984 to protect the locality from natural disasters. It's ironic that the administration let the yard authorities cut down 5,000 of these life-saving trees—that too illegally, as they did not take Forest Department's permission. After the latest setback, the department is reportedly preparing to take the matter to court. But until a favourable decision comes, the forestland lies at the whim of businessmen.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. 
A ship-breaking yard operating there will likely lead to severe environmental pollution, as toxic spills from ship-breaking operations are known to contaminate coastal ecosystems and devastate local communities. It is hard to comprehend why a country that pledged to stop deforestation by 2030 would let this happen. But it shouldn't be surprising, as we have seen nature being sacrificed like this countless times: plans to fell 2,044 trees in Jashore, building a safari park at Lathitila forest, efforts to take power lines through a reserved forest—the list goes on. These examples, all government undertakings, reduce its pledges to mere lip service.
If the government is really sincere about keeping its promise, it must put a stop to these incidents. The administration must remind the agencies and bodies working under it that safeguarding the environment, not business, is paramount. No entity, whether public or private, should skirt or break environmental laws, and commercial operations must be assessed and monitored for their environmental impacts. The ongoing heatwaves in the country are a reminder that without forests and trees, we are doomed.
Comments