The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSS, Natore

A programme has been undertaken for sowing of date and palm seeds in the district in order to meet the demand of sugar and maintain the ecological balance. A total of 10 lakh date and palm seeds will be sowed in the district under the auspices of the District Administration of which three lakh date seeds has already been sown.

Sources said the length of railway tract in the district is about 37 km, roads under the Zila Parishad is 836 km, roads under Roads and Highways Department is 139 km, roads under LGED is 320 km and roads under Water Development Board is about 155 km.

Of the total length of roads 10 lakh date and palm seeds will be sowed on both sides of 487 km railway tracks and roads in the district in the first phase.

Apart from the different government organisations non-government organ-isations were also involved in the date and palm seeds sowing programme. The organisations included Department of Agriculture Extension, Forest Depar-tment, Barind Multip-urpose Development Authority, Zila Parishad, BRDB, Primary Education Department, LGED, Ansar, NGO Association and UP chairmen Association.

Executive Engineer of LGED Lokman Ali said the LGED has started sowing of 12,000 date and palm seeds on both sides of about 320 km roads under LGED and Upazila Administration in cooperation of other organisations will sow seeds on the sides of another 314 km roads.

President of Natore district UP Chairmen Association Nuruzzaman Kalu said each of the 52 Union Parishads under the district will sow at least 2,000 date and palm seeds. Besides, Dilruba Begum, district primary education Officer said 655 primary schools of the district have been assigned to sow date on the sides of one km each thus cover 655 km roads.