Chittagong Bureau :
Chittagong District Administration against the backdrop of heavy shower and upcoming monsoon on Monday has started eviction of the residents of unauthorized dwellings illegally set up on the hillocks and risky places in the city.
The district administration came up with the move in order to avert possible loss of lives from landslides in the monsoon as the soil on the hills become softer and may trigger a landslide, posing threat to the lives of the low-living people dwelling on those risky hills pockets during the rainy season.
A five-member team led by Achia Khatun, executive Magistrate visited the slopes of Matijharna area around 1:30am and began the eviction drive.
The team evicted 17 makeshift houses from the area and also cut the supply of electricity and water to those houses during the drive.
Over the eviction drive, Assistant Commissioner Achaia Khatun told journalists that despite several notices served from the district administration, the families were still living in the hill at a very dangerous state.
She also said the authorities would gradually evict all families living in different risky hills in the city.
They also issued warnings to the residents of 11 risky hills including Moti Jhorna and Lalkhan Bazar hill areas about possible landslides in Chittagong.
The district administration at the advent of the monsoon every year, takes different rehabilitation programmes to relocate the risky hill-dwellers but in spite of knowing the impending dangers, the people of low income group mostly the rickshaw pullers and day labourers erect their temporary structures and start living in those hills.
According to the reports provided by the Chittagong Hill Management Committee, a total of 13 hills in the city are in very dangerous state to live there.
Mentionable that at least 189 persons were killed in different landslides in the city during last eight years including 127 dead on June 11 of 2007.
Chittagong City Corporation, Chittagong Development Authority, Bangladesh railway and the District Administration authorities have been carrying out drives to evict people living at risky spots to stop recurrence of landslides.
Chittagong District Administration against the backdrop of heavy shower and upcoming monsoon on Monday has started eviction of the residents of unauthorized dwellings illegally set up on the hillocks and risky places in the city.
The district administration came up with the move in order to avert possible loss of lives from landslides in the monsoon as the soil on the hills become softer and may trigger a landslide, posing threat to the lives of the low-living people dwelling on those risky hills pockets during the rainy season.
A five-member team led by Achia Khatun, executive Magistrate visited the slopes of Matijharna area around 1:30am and began the eviction drive.
The team evicted 17 makeshift houses from the area and also cut the supply of electricity and water to those houses during the drive.
Over the eviction drive, Assistant Commissioner Achaia Khatun told journalists that despite several notices served from the district administration, the families were still living in the hill at a very dangerous state.
She also said the authorities would gradually evict all families living in different risky hills in the city.
They also issued warnings to the residents of 11 risky hills including Moti Jhorna and Lalkhan Bazar hill areas about possible landslides in Chittagong.
The district administration at the advent of the monsoon every year, takes different rehabilitation programmes to relocate the risky hill-dwellers but in spite of knowing the impending dangers, the people of low income group mostly the rickshaw pullers and day labourers erect their temporary structures and start living in those hills.
According to the reports provided by the Chittagong Hill Management Committee, a total of 13 hills in the city are in very dangerous state to live there.
Mentionable that at least 189 persons were killed in different landslides in the city during last eight years including 127 dead on June 11 of 2007.
Chittagong City Corporation, Chittagong Development Authority, Bangladesh railway and the District Administration authorities have been carrying out drives to evict people living at risky spots to stop recurrence of landslides.
