MEHERPUR, Feb 2: Mujibnagar Mango Orchard in the district seems to have regained its life.
This huge mango garden, historically and environmentally important, has been on the verge of extinction due to lack of maintenance for a long time.
Under supervision of the Horticulture Centre, necessary care, including weed control and nutrition, has been provided to the orchard. At present, the orchard is spreading its beauty in a new form, attracting tourists.
Reports appeared in different media houses about its dilapidated condition.
People from different classes and professions in the district demanded of the government to take initiative to protect the mango orchard. And as part of this, initiatives were taken to revive the mango trees under the "Nutrition Development Project through Year-round Fruit Production" of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE). Various types of work have been carried out in the orchard for about a year under the supervision of the horticultural centre. These include weeding and cutting of sick trees.
The soil and roots of the trees were severely damaged due to not ploughing the garden for a long time. Necessary fertiliser, pesticide, and different types of organic substance have been applied there in several stages. Other secondary nutrients have been provided according to the needs of the trees.
In addition, along with additional care for the diseased trees, new saplings have been planted in the vacant spaces, and these have been surrounded by iron fences. The appearance of the trees has changed. Now, wherever you look, there is a beauty of green. New buds are appearing.
Tags have been attached to each tree to keep track of the number of trees. Total number of trees is 1,200 including 10,040 old and 160 new.
During the British time, the mango orchard was the mango pickle garden of the wife of Landlord (Zamidar) Kedarnath Chowdhury. Over time, it became the land of the birth of the nation of Bangladesh. Although the name of the garden has a place of pride in the pages of history, there was no initiative to protect the orchard.
District administration collected revenue by leasing the fruits of the orchard every year. But there was no such activity in the maintenance of the orchard. So, these century-old trees were gradually dying. Branches of the trees were full of weeds. The branches that broke in the storm were drying up and wounding the fruit-bearing trees.
Many trees died without getting necessary irrigation and fertiliser.
Locals said, every year the district upazila administration leases the fruits of the orchard. Although the government collected revenue through this, the lessees have damaged the orchard in various ways.
Amirul Islam, a college teacher who came from Pabna, said, "We are impressed with the current look of the orchard. I was disappointed to see the dilapidated condition of the garden when I came here five years back."
He demanded necessary measures to preserve the orchard.
Dr Mehedi Masud, Director of the Nutrition Development Project through Year-round Fruit Production, said, the decline in trees has had an adverse impact on the climate; gardens like this mango orchard must be conserved to maintain a favourable environment; just as the trees have been revived through care, it has also had a positive impact on the environment in the area.
When asked, Habibul Islam Khan, Deputy Director of the Meherpur Horticulture Centre, said, this is the fruit of the relentless efforts of the staff of the Horticulture Centre.
It is everyone's responsibility to preserve the garden, and it is expected that everyone will keep a close eye on the garden from their respective positions, he maintained.
