30,000 palm trees growing at Tanore

RAJSHAHI, Dec 12: At least 30 thousand palm trees are growing on the two sides of different roads in Tanore upazila of the  district.
The palm trees have been planted by the Barendra Multiple Development Authority (BMDA) under a project in 2008. Around one lakh palm trees were planted under this project in different places under Barendra tract.
According to sources at the BMDA, more than 30,000 palm trees have been planted by the authority on two sides of different roads of the Tanore upazila two years before on 730 kilometres area here. Those trees are planted in different road areas in two municipalities and seven unions of the upazila, the sources said.
While talking to The Daily Observer, Humayun Kabir, a school teacher of Devipur village in the upazila, said that there have a total of 15 bighas of arable land near the road sides.
There were shishu trees on the two sides of the roads for long; but these damaged the crops near the road sides; now the BMDA authority has planted palm trees cutting the shishu trees, and these palm trees are not harmful to any crop cultivation, he added.
Shoriful Islam, engineer of Tanore Tract BMDA, said that palm trees do not affect the croup cultivation on the road side arable lands.
The palm trees are also very helpful to maintain ecological balance; these produce testy palm that is a medicinal fruit; the wood of palm tree is very hard and sustainable for any housing; these trees protect erosion of soil, and people can make  hand-fan from the palm leaf, he added.
 In this regard, Abdur Rashid, executive director of the BMDA, said, "To save the crops near the two sides of the road in different areas, we took this palm tree planting project since 2008. It is very helpful to keep ecological balance and our rural tradition."