5,000 palm seeds planted to reduce lightning risk in Cumilla

Lal Sabuj Unnayan Sangha launched the initiative on Tuesday with a lightning-awareness session for students of Daulatpur High School, followed by the distribution of palm seeds among them.

Around 300 students received the seeds and will plant them in their respective communities.

The programme was formally inaugurated through the planting of palm seeds along both sides of regional roads in Paschim Noagaon, Daulatpur and Purba Noagaon. 

Kawsar Alam Sohel, founder and central president of the organisation, inaugurated the campaign, which was joined by more than 50 volunteers.

School Headteacher Muhammad Tafazzal Hossain Majumder and Assistant Headteacher Md Khaled Saifullah were present at the event.

Organisers said 1,000 of the 5,000 seeds collected for the campaign were distributed among students and planted beside roads on the first day.

The remaining seeds will be planted in phases along regional roads in different upazilas of Cumilla throughout the month.

Kawsar Alam Sohel said the organisation has been planting palm seeds since 2011 as part of efforts to reduce lightning risks and protect the environment.

“Over the past 15 years, we have planted at least 70,000 palm seeds across the country,” he said, adding that the organisation has again taken the initiative to plant 5,000 seeds in Cumilla and other areas this year.

He said a significant proportion of lightning fatalities occur among marginalised and low-income communities, but such deaths often fail to receive sustained social and institutional attention.

“Long-term planning, early warnings and continuous preventive measures are needed to reduce lightning-related deaths.''

Sohel suggested involving school students in palm-seed planting programmes nationwide, saying such participation could enable large-scale planting within a relatively short period.

According to him, the initiative could contribute to environmental protection while potentially helping reduce the long-term risks associated with lightning.