The slow phasing out of greenery from our urban landscapes has certainly given way to a lot of issues which not only affect the environment but also the wellbeing of citizens and other living creatures in the process. From the increasingly intense heat waves to the continued destruction of our air quality, trees do a lot of heavy lifting in keeping these problems in check.
As we have editorialized time and again, cities such as our capital need more greenery not less. Which is why it is doubly shameful that the Dhaka North City Corporation has consistently failed to utilize its funds allocated for planting trees, unable to spend even half the money in the past eight years according to a report by The Daily Star.
It was about a year ago that the DNCC mayor unveiled a renewed “green initiative” which seeks to plant trees on roads and sidewalks while also emphasizing the need to not “leave any space empty.” Given the paltry amount of the allocated funds which have been used, the initiative can hardly be seen bearing fruit in the whole year it has been since announcement.
While the funds have been barely used, the budget for planting trees was also nearly halved around 2019 and the following fiscal years. What exactly is the point of having a dedicated fund for planting trees in the city if the money isn’t utilized properly?
Our capital city has been losing greenery at an alarming rate over the past decades and we can already see the ill effects at play: While temperatures are climbing ever higher, the state of Dhaka’s air pollution levels consistently sees our capital topping the list of cities with the worst air quality in the world.
Dhaka’s development cannot come at the cost of its natural beauty -- but, then again, a truly developed city sees concrete co-exist with greenery.
