The Chittagong District Administration on Wednesday in a drive at the port city’s Batali Hill and AK Khan areas evacuated 100 families and evicted about 45 illegal establishments from the two risky hills to avert a possible loss of lives from landslides. Every year during monsoon many people living risky hills slope are being killed in Chittagong landslides. Thousands of people are living on 29 hills that are exposed to landslide disasters.
The drive was led by additional deputy commissioner of Chattogram District Administration Mohammad Delowar Hossain, Abdullah Al Mansoor, Assistant Commissioner of land (Sadar), Sabbari Rahman Sunny and Sharmin Akhter.
“We have requested the people who are living in hills slope to go to in safe place. As a part of our campaign we have evicted 45 houses and evacuated about 100 families from the risky hills, “said Delowar Hossain.
It is alleged that by some politically influential people built and rented out the slums to poor people encroaching upon government land at hills slopes.
The catastrophic landslide of 2007 which claimed 127 lives prompted the formation of two committees. Their 36-point recommendation to avert a possible loss of lives from landslides includes evacuating people from the risky areas and measures to rehabilitate them. However, most of these recommendations remain ignored.
Landslides triggered by heavy rains in and around Chittagong city have claimed over 250 lives between 1999 and 2014. The death toll includes the 127 who lost their lives in a single catastrophic landslide in 2007. The disasters took place in Lalkhan Bazar, Motijharna, Takir Pahar, Batali Hill, Akber Shah and Pahartali areas.
Despite warnings of government the poor people are living at the hills slope as politically influential people rented out the slums to them. – Staff Reporter
