Shade trees disappearing from tea gardens

Moulvibazar Correspondent :

A large shade tree is disappearing from the Duncan Brothers Shamshernagar tea garden in Kamalganj upazila of Moulvibazar. For a long time, a group has been cutting and smuggling trees from the tea garden section.

This is affecting tea production and the environment. It is also posing a threat to the environment.

However, the tea garden authorities claim that workers are cutting down dead trees for fuel during the Puja festival. On Tuesday afternoon, two large Akashmoni trees were cut down from the area adjacent to the Shamshernagar tea garden crematorium.

It was seen on the spot that the upazila Two Akashmani trees were cut down in broad daylight from the section of Shamshernagar tea garden adjacent to the crematorium on the Shamshernagar-Pirerbazar road.

Tea garden Sardar Ahad Mia cut down the trees with a few tea workers. The trees were cut down without the permission of the Forest Department.

The trees were cut into pieces and taken inside the garden by the tea garden tractor. Both the trees are large and living trees. They are playing a role as shade trees for the tea garden. Regarding the cutting of trees, Ahad Mia said that the permission of the tea garden manager is required for the fuel.

The trees are being cut down for this. Some more trees have been cut down in this way. However, some tea workers who do not want to be named said that hundreds of trees in the tea gardens are being cut down in the dark of night through Ahad. As a result, the sections are becoming treeless.

Meanwhile, old and large trees are being stolen from various tea gardens including Deochora, Dobalochora, Kanihati tea gardens in Shamshernagar. Old trees of the section, including Kaori and Akashmani, are being cut down and used for plantation. These trees provide shade for the tea plants.

These trees, on the one hand, protect the tea plants from excessive rain and scorching sun in the tea garden. That is why the tea hills are full of trees. On the other hand, the trees in the huge tea hills prevent soil erosion and maintain the balance of the environment.

The shade trees in the tea garden are the Production, soil erosion prevention and environmental balance play a pivotal role.

However, cutting down trees is having a negative impact on tea production and is also posing a threat to the environment. Panchayat leaders said that the trees and raw tea leaves from the garden are
Theft is happening.

Due to the theft of trees, the hills are becoming devoid of trees. Due to this, there will be no shade for the tea trees. As a result, there will be a huge loss to the garden and the workers. We have also asked the management to take action in these matters.

In this regard, Shamshernagar Tea Garden Acting Manager M.B. Sajjadur Haque confirmed the fact of tree cutting and said, “The workers are cutting dead trees for firewood. Durga Puja is coming up, they need firewood.”
They are cutting down trees because of the forest.

However, if living and large-sized trees are cut down, it will be investigated. In this regard, Rajkandi Forest Range Officer Jewel Rana said, “For cutting down trees from tea gardens, permission from the Forest Department is required. We will look into this matter.”