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Teesta barrage faces erosion threat due to tree looting

EAM Asaduzzaman, Nilphamari
Stealing of big trees from a manmade forest owned by Bangladesh Water Development Board (WDB) along the eastern end of Teesta barrage puts the country’s largest structure of the kind vulnerable to erosion.
Authorities of WDB Dalia Division of Nilphamari planted about 7000 trees of different varieties like mahogany, shishu, teak, acacia and eucalyptus in forest No-1 comprising 33 acres of land at Doani village in 1993-1994 fiscal year to save the barrage structures from erosion.
Visiting the forest on Saturday, this correspon-
dent saw a large number of big trunks, some of them covered with earth to hide the act of felling, although the place is in front of a camp where 40 Ansar members are posted to look after safety of the barrage and its infrastructures.
"Almost every night, thieves fell and remove big trees and more than 130 trees were stolen in last three weeks,” said Abdus Samad, 45, a tea stall owner living near the forest.
Several locals seeking anonymity said that a section of dishonest BWDB men and some Ansar personnel are aiding the thieves in the crime.
"I have heard from locals that stealing of trees from the WDB forest is occurring
almost every night but we could not take action as authorities did not lodge any complaint," said sub inspector Sayed Mahbub Alam, in charge of Doani police camp near the barrage.
Commander of Doani Ansar camp, Ataur Rahman denied the allegation of his men's collusion in stealing trees.
Surat Uz Zaman, sub assistant engineer of BWDB in Dalia, also the in-charge to look after the forest, said, "The allegation of random felling and removal of trees and helping with thieves by BWDB men is not true. We sold many of our old and big trees in auctions and will invite more auctions in near future for selling trees.
We have also made agreement with the forest department for planting new trees to keep the forest intact."
He, however, failed to say how many trees were sold in auctions, how many auctions took place and what amount of money the BWDB got by selling the trees.
Sohrab Hossain, secretary of CBA at Dalia, said the WDB Division sees serious irregularities as posts of two executive engineers have remained vacant for a couple of months.
"We are concerned as the natural safety of the barrage is threatened due to felling and removal of trees from nearby WDB forest," he said.