Moulvibazar bamboo forests face destruction
With a massive flowering of bamboos in Moulvibazar, uncertainty looms large about employment of 50 thousand labourers as the unusual phenomenon is destroying bamboo clusters.
As the monsoon sets in, the bamboo plants will be totally destroyed, forest officials said, adding that the situation will cause the government lose Tk 1 crore yearly revenue.
Local people consider appearance of flower in bamboo plants as a bad omen that results in food crisis.
As bamboo plants have been covered with golden-colour flowers, usual scene of the groves has changed.
In many places green fruits of bamboos were seen hanging along with flowers.
Forest department sources in Moulvibazar said flowers are blossoming in almost all the 20 bamboo mohals of Juri-1, Juri-2, Kulaura and Rajkandi ranges under the district and consequently bamboo plants are dying.
Flowering has affected all the bamboo plants at Dholaichhara, Ragna-Chungabari, Sagornal, Puthi-Chhara, East-Gugali, Halompachhara, and Surmachhara under Juri-1 range, and Latuchhara bamboo mohal under Juri-2 range.
Most of the bamboos in the mohals under other ranges are also affected.
Flowers have been seen mostly in muli and tengra-muli species of bamboos and it will lead to destruction of the bamboo groves, forest officials said.
The government earns about Tk one crore yearly revenue from 20 bamboo mohals of Moulvibazar district where 50 thousand labourers are engaged in bamboo mohals, they said.
As flowers have blossomed in all the bamboo mohals of the district, bamboo groves will be destroyed, Moulvibazar Sub-Divisional Forest Officer Abu Naser Mohsin Hussain told journalists.
New saplings will grow from its fruits but it will take about four years to mature, he said, adding that a large number of labourers will become unemployed with destruction of bamboo mohals and the government will lose revenue worth Tk one crore a year.
Bamboo flowering occurs after every 50 to 60 years, he said.
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