News Desk :
The Bangladesh Meteorological Department has warned of landslides in the hilly regions of Chattogram as heavy rainfall batters different parts of the country with the onset of rainy season.
The highest rainfall in 24 hours to 6:00 am on Thursday was 302 mm, recorded in Cox’s Bazar, the district that experienced many casualties in a landslide triggered by heavy downpours five years ago.
Since a devastating landslide in 2007 – that killed 129 people – the district administration has been active in evacuating individuals living in the risky foothills every year. Officials said this year also they have already taken the inititive to avert any untoward situation.
Besides, 11 killed in 2008, 15 in 2009 and 2010, 17 in 2011, 23 in 2012, five in 2013, six in 2015, 17 in 2016 and 29 in 2017 in landslides during monsoon.
Green activities feared that more deaths this time as people are staying inside their informal settlements built along landslide prone hill slopes and foothills in Chattogram city due to the fear of coronavirus pandemic.
According to the district administration, there are 17 landslide porn hills and 28 foothills where many families have made settlements.
Among the 17 hills, 304 families live on seven government-owned hills. Another 531 families live on 10 privately-owned hills.
Chattogram City Corporation, Railway, Wasa, and the Public Works Department own the public hills in Chattogram. None of them was seen evacuating people from foothills.
Among 835 families living at risk on 17 hills: 22 families live on hills adjacent to Railway Lake City Residential area; 28 families on hills adjacent to East Firoz Shah Lake; 28 families in Koibylodhan Bishwa Colony Hill owned by the public works department; 10 families on City Corporation Hill adjacent to the Department of Environment office; 162 families on Moti Jharna and Batali Hill owned by the railway, roads and highway plus public works departments, and Wasa; 26 families on privately-owned AK Khan Hill; 33 families on Harun Khan’s hill; 43 families on the hill adjacent to the Polytechnic College; 34 families on Madhu Shah Hill; 33 families on the hill adjacent to Forest Research Institute; 28 families on the hill adjacent to Akbar Shah Residential area; 16 families on the hill adjacent to Amin Colony Tank; 11 families on the hill adjacent to Lalkhan Market Jameyatul Ulum Madrasa; 11 families on Vera Fakir Hill; nine families on Foyez Lake Residential area adjacent hill; and eight families on MR Siddique Hill.
“Monsoon is active over Bangladesh and strong over North Bay where dark clouds are hovering. This may trigger moderate to heavy rainfall in Chattogram, Barishal and Sylhet division,” said Meteorologist Md Bazlur Rashid.
Landslides may also occur in some parts of Chattogram Division due to the heavy rain, he warned.
Mohammad Kamal Hossain, ADC (General), DC Office of Chattogram said illegal residents of the foothills have been asked to evacuate on account of heavy rains.
“The authorities will conduct an eviction drive if the residents do not leave the places willingly. The administration will accommodate them in shelters,” he added.
Our Chattogram correspondent reports that the volunteers started alerting people using loudspeakers in risky hilly areas in Chattogram asking them to move to safe shelters amid fear of landslide.
More than 10 lakh people have been living on the slopes of 30 hills in Chattogram amid danger of landslides during monsoon.
According to the Divisional Hill Management Committee, these people have been living in the hills of Sitakunda and Jangal Salimpur areas of the district hiring makeshift houses at lower rents.
