The Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) and the Forest Department signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) today to boost afforestation and greening initiatives in DSCC areas.
The agreement was signed at Nagar Bhaban in the presence of DSCC Administrator Md Shahjahan Mia.
DSCC Secretary Muhammad Shafiqul Islam signed the MoU on behalf of the corporation. In contrast, Conservator of Forests (Dhaka Social Forest Circle) Hossain Muhammad Nishad signed on behalf of the Forest Department.
The five-year agreement aims to improve the overall environment in DSCC areas by reducing air, water, soil, and noise pollution, mitigating the impacts of climate change, and enhancing urban beauty through afforestation, and greening programmes.
Under the agreement, the Forest Department will provide technical assistance and overall support for urban afforestation initiatives funded by DSCC in selected locations.
This 5-year agreement was signed to improve the overall environment through landscape development and beautification, including afforestation and greening, to mitigate the impact of climate change and control air pollution, water pollution, soil pollution, noise pollution, and temperature in the DSCC area.
Under the agreement, the Forest Department will provide technical advice and overall cooperation in urban afforestation activities funded by the corporation in selected areas of the DSCC. In addition, the Forest Department will prepare a forestry management and supervision manual and provide it to the DSCC. As per the agreement, the participation of the local community in post-afforestation care and protection will be ensured.
In the first phase of the agreement, grass and trees will be planted in 06 medians of about 16 km.
At the signing ceremony of the memorandum, the administrator of DSCC said, “The plan of 1917 said that Dhaka would be a garden city. But due to unplanned urbanization, housing and population pressure, green spaces and water bodies have been lost from Dhaka city today. If we do not take effective measures now, it will become an abandoned city.”
Stating that DSCC is taking initiatives for planned afforestation and greening to save Dhaka city, the administrator said that Tk 50 lakh has been allocated for tree plantation in the next fiscal year. In addition, he expressed gratitude to the Forest Department for signing today’s memorandum of understanding.
The meeting was attended by DSCC Chief Executive Officer Dr. Zillur Rahman, DSCC Secretary Mr. Muhammad Shafiqul Islam, and Deputy Chief Conservator of Forests of the Social Forestry Branch of the Forest Department Dr. Md. Jaglul Hossain, and all the departmental officials from both departments were present.
