300 trees felled at CMCH as 'illegal' nursery removed
Our Correspondent, Chittagong
Authorities of Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH) felled around 300 flower trees of a nursery on the hospital compound in last two days in the name of cleansing the environment.They said the trees had to be axed to evict the nursery located behind the main hospital building. It was as part of a move to remove all the structures built on the hospital compound either illegally or under lease agreement with the authorities, they added. Abul Mansur, owner of the nursery, said that he received a notice issued by CMCH on July 12, cancelling the lease agreement. In the notice the authorities also ordered the nursery owner to remove all the trees planted on the compound and help cleansing the area. All the felled 300 trees of 'star flower, composed of small white petals, were 5 to 15 feet high and around 15 to 20 years old, Mansur claimed. "We leased the site from CMCH authorities in early eighties and the agreement was renewed every year", Mansur said. The lease amount was Tk 5000 to Tk 6000 a year at the initial stage. The amount stood at Tk 24000 last year and Tk 40,000 this year, he said. When Contacted, CMCH Director Brigadier General Abedur Rahman said the plants in the nursery were turning the area into a jungle making it a breeding ground for mosquitoes which would pose a threat to patients.
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