When I take part in the discussions of journalists and sometimes in those ones of readers I see that both these and those dwell on the topics presented in mass-media. I quite agree with the assertions that the society has got tired of the information advertising the activities of state power bodies or summing up the totals of some branch which is published in press or telecast. Let us, for example, take the theme of greening our towns and districts and equipping them with amenities which has came into a proverb in society. The reports from enterprises and organizations on having planted a great deal of saplings are coming to Hukumats in an endless stream. If to believe in all of them no one empty piece of land remained on the territory of the republic which wouldn't have covered with green gardens and groves. But the Oriental; proverb runs: "You may utter the word "khalva" thousand times but your tongue won't perceive its sweetness". Of course we can't rebuke our dekhans of having forgotten how to grow gardens. But that thing is true that we have forgotten how to cherish them. To my mind, it happened due to our indifference to the things taking place around. We report that this or that household had planted five or ten thousand saplings, but keep silence when forests are hewn. And once in a blue moon this problem is raised. Never did I either hear or read that somebody would account for the trees planted last year - in what state the latters were.
The present visage of the territory surrounding the dispensary attached to Mirali Mahmadaliyev household in Vose district may illustrate barbaric attitude, predatory man's nature as once upon a time this place was green and shady being well- attended to. The green plantations served not only as a shield from scorching sun, they made this nook cosy importing more beauty to the natural landscape. Aren't we pervaded with pain seeing the stumps of hewn fruit and ornamental trees trampled green plants cared of by our forefathers in the cast plot exposing this now neglected corner of wonderful nature I recalled unwittingly the story of the dispensary retailed by the deceased Boboi Mirali, former leader of this biggest household. We met not once. The idea to create a dispensary occurred to him when having rest in "Zumrad" sanatorium. On the recommendation of the former chief doctor of "Zumrad" Mirzo Olimov, now also being gone from us, Mirali-bobo had addressed Isfara masters of wood carving and folk artists who embodied the ideas of the chairman of the famous collective-farm named after Lenin. They built a modern medicinal center, laid out a grand garden. Alleys and pavements were lined finely with splendid ornamental trees. Now we only bemoan this vanished beauty. Against this background we hear oftener and oftener the voices of officials reporting about "grandiose" greening all over the republic. If to believe all of them we must assume that the quantum of planted trees exceeds tens of millions. And it is only a yearly index. Oh, janobon (sirs), do think better of it! Still 93% of our territory is occupied with mountains. It is an indisputable fact. So, where have you found extra land for planting? May, be being mistaken, you started to green the areas of the neighbouring states?
I don't imply that we should refuse from our good tradition to plant trees and lay out gardens. At the same time we should think how to preserve the green plantations we do have. And this work ought not to be done for being "ticked off" in some accounting report. And it shouldn't be converted into a recurrent campaign either, no, it should be a conscientious step, a duty of everyone of us.
In the 60s- 70s on the initiative of Ashurmat Qodyrov and Mahmudjohn Nazarov, notable collective- farm chairmen, hundreds of hectares of empty lands were reclaimed in Konibodom district. Today the beautiful orchards, the creation of distinguished horticulturists, stretch along Khujand-Konibodom trunkline, in the period of the retarding economic crisis these gardens are a real salvation for people. Maria Nikolayeva, labour veteran from Chkalovsk, being not authorized officially, every year waters the trees growing in the street not far from her house during the whole period of summer heat. "What for to plant new trees, if we don't attend properly to those we already have?" - she can't understand it. And she is right. First of all, we must save what we have, and further on, without forgetting about our descendants and playing the hypocrite, grow genuine gardens.