Sylhet sets target to plant 10 lakh saplings in a single day

Sylhet authorities have set an ambitious target to plant 10 lakh saplings in a single day as part of a nationwide environmental and water management initiative.

Administrator of Sylhet City Corporation, Abdul Qayyum Chowdhury, said the government has undertaken large-scale canal excavation and tree plantation programs as priority projects. He made the remarks at a meeting held on Sunday at the Deputy Commissioner’s conference room in Sylhet.

Deputy Commissioner Md Sarwar Alam, who presided over the meeting, said committees will be formed at the upazila level to identify canals for excavation and areas for tree plantation within one week. He announced plans for mass participation, targeting around 50,000 people for canal excavation in a single day and setting a goal of planting 10 lakh saplings across Sylhet district on the same day.

Representatives from the BNP, government officials, and civil society leaders attended the meeting and proposed coordinated implementation strategies.

The government launched its nationwide canal excavation and re-excavation program on March 16. The initiative was inaugurated in Sylhet with the Basia Canal project on May 2.

Officials said the broader plan aims to excavate and restore around 20,000 kilometers of canals over five years with support from multiple government agencies alongside active community participation.