Noman Mosharef :
Entire Chattagram region including the port city were virtually floating on rainwaters following last few days heavy rainfall triggering landslides.
With early rains falling on the Rohingya camps in Cox’s Bazar, the fear of natural calamities has heightened among the refugees living in tiny shanties made of bamboo poles and tarpaulin in the district’s Ukhia and Teknaf. They have been alerted against possible disasters like landslide.
The monsoon get into full swing in July but before that there is a high risk of cyclone, which usually occurs in April-May and October-November, according to Uzzal Kanti Pal, in charge of Cox’s Bazar Met office.
In Rangamati district a minor boy and a woman were killed and three others injured on Monday in a landslide triggered by heavy rainfall for the last couple of days at Kalabagan in Kaptai upazila.
The deceased were identified as Surya Mallik, 3 and Tahmina, 30 of the area.
A chunk of mud from a hill collapsed on some thatched houses, leaving the child and woman dead on the spot and three others injured, said Anwarul Islam, Chairman of no 1 Chandraghona union parishad.
Local people recovered the bodies.
According our Chattogram Bureau the port city has been experiencing heavy rains since Saturday. The Potenga weather office on the southern edge of the city recorded 285 mm of rainfall over the last five days. It also recorded 136.2 mm of rainfall over 24 hours until 12pm on Monday.
“A combination of seasonal winds above Bangladesh is causing the rains. The situation may intensify across the country until Tuesday,” Patenga Met office duty assistant officer Pradip Kanti Roy told the media.
Red Crescent Volunteers alerting people using loudspeakers in Lalkhan Bazar and Motijharna areas fearing landslide in Chattogram
Over 50 families have been evacuated from Jalalbad hill in the city on Sunday fearing landslides amid rains for the last four days.
The local administration started asking people through loudspeakers to shift to shelter centers or other safer places on Saturday morning, said Md Delwar Hossain, member secretary of hill management committee and additional deputy commissioner (revenue). Volunteers were seen alerting people using loudspeakers in Lalkhan Bazar and Motijharna areas to avoid possible casualties, reports police.
Md Delwar also said nobody would be allowed to stay in risky hills. They will have to move to shelter centers or safer areas, he said.
Ward councilors, hill owners, and government agencies concerned have been instructed to prevent people’s stay in hills at night, Delwar added.
Delwar further said, “If needed, magistrates will conduct drives. We want to prevent deaths by landslides at any cost.”
According to the Deputy Commissioner’s office, Pahartoli High School in Akbar Shah area, Firoz Shah-e-block School in Foy’s Lake area, Chattogram Model High School in Polytechnic College area, Al-Hera Islamic Madrasa in Tankipara area, Roufbad Ideal High School in Miarpara area, Lalkhan Bazar Government Primary School in Lalkhan Bazar area and Sayabad School in Pora colony area were kept ready as shelter centers.
Assistant Commissioner (Land) Towhidul Islam is supervising the shelter centres.
On the other hand, six assistant commissioners (land) of six circles and district relief and rehabilitation officials were deployed to conduct activities in the shelter centers. Adequate relief items like dry food and drinking water were stored in the shelter centers.
