BMDA plants palm trees in vast Barind tract

RAJSHAHI, July 7 (BSS): The Barind Multipurpose Development Authority (BMDA) has developed around 0.65 million (6.5 lakh) palm trees on both sides of the rural roads in the region including its vast Barind tract.
Besides, 2.60 million more saplings are in the process of being grown under the five-year "Barind Environmental Restoration through Afforestation Project" being implemented in different northern districts.
Project Director Abdul Latif told the news agency that the trees were being developed on the roadsides and surroundings of ponds and canals for enhancing production of molasses (gur) with an ultimate goal of reducing the import pressure on sugar.
The main thrust of the programme was to increase forest resources, create awareness among farmers about plantation, improve organic matters' status in soil and create employment opportunities.
"We have enormous prospects for growing palm, date and palm-oil trees in the region as there are large pieces of fallow land beside the roads and highways and the demand for the processed items," he said.
He said the Tk 225.20 million (22.52 crore) project was being implemented in the northwestern region of the country targeting socio-economic and ecological development of the region through creating additional forest resources.