Thai princess inaugurates vetiver grass project in Ctg

CHATTOGRAM, May 30: Thailand's Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn on Wednesday inaugurated the Bangladesh-Thailand Vetiver Grass Development Project in the port city of Chattogram.

Aimed at preventing hill erosion in the city, the new environment conservation project was formally launched by the Thai princess at the foot of Mitha Pahar of Batali Hills in Tiger Pass area in the morning.

Environment and Forest Minister Anisul Islam Mahmood and Mayor of Chattogram City Corporation AJM Nasir Uddin were present on the occasion.

The princess, accompanied by Thai officials, arrived in the city by a flight of a private airline from Dhaka on the third day of her visit to Bangladesh at the invitation of the Bangladesh foreign minister.

Anisul Islam Mahmood said this is a joint venture pilot project of the governments of Thailand and Bangladesh. The Ministry of Environment and Forest is proving Tk 20 million for the project.

Bangladesh is facing excessive rainfall due to impact of climate change causing soil erosion in the hill areas.

In Chattogram, soil erosion kills many people in the hill pockets every year, he said.

That is why the vetiver grass plantation project carries special importance and it will have a great role in protecting hills in the city, he added.

Mayor AJM Nasir Uddin said Chattogram is the city of hills which undergoes immense suffering for mudslide every monsoon and the sand of the hills creates obstructions to the water flow in the city's canals and drains, causing water-logging.

He said Professor Shahidul Islam of BUET has conducted a research for the last 10 years on the usefulness of the plantation of vertiver grass in protecting hills.

The object of the project is to provide training and arrange workshops and seminars in the country to popularise it.

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