Students plant palm trees to reduce lightning strike casualties

Every year students of Balapur Nabin Chandra High School in Narsingdi take part in a tree plantation program with the aim of reducing lightning strike related casualties, and help restore the ecological balance of the environment in the region.

Under the program, these young students plant palm and other trees on roadsides in Paikarchar union of Sadar upazila. More than 5,000 palm trees and hundreds of other trees have been planted since the program began in 2016. 

Speaking to the union council chairman, school principal, and locals, this correspondent found that despite lack of time, inadequate space, and other obstacles the annual tree plantation program has been carried out successively.

The program is organized under the banner of "Shobuj Ghasher Golpo," a tree plantation program initiated by a Brac official named Naimul Islam Bhuiyan, from Kandrapodi village in the union.

Every year, Naimul distributes palm fruits to local students so they can plant the seeds in their locality.

"Trees are not planted at the rate they are destroyed. This poses a threat to the ecological balance. There is no better alternative than palm trees to avoid lightning related accidents.

"The seeds are not planted by personal initiatives, rather we are involving students so that this noble practice is instilled in the future generations to come," said Naimul.

He reported that through "Shobuj Ghasher Golpo," 450 palm trees were planted in 2016, and since then, every year the number gradually increased, with as many as 2,000 trees being planted this year, in which more than 700 students took part.

Balapur Nabin Chandra High School Principal Abdur Sobur said: "By taking an active part in this program students have become inspired, and they have been planting palms along with other trees on roadsides for the last four years."

Paikarchar Union Parishad Chairman Abul Hashem commended the initiative, and said: "The plantation program has been continuing since 2016. Numerous palm trees have been planted since then in several villages in this union.    

"These trees will help combat nature imbalance, and reduce the dangers of lightning strike related accident in future. So, I also try to participate in this program."