Md Joynal Abedin Khan :
The hilly inhabitants fear more deaths in landslides triggered by heavy rainfall during the upcoming monsoon in Rangamati, Chattogram, Cox’s Bazar, Bandarban and Khagrhachhari districts.
They have become panicked at the tragic deaths of five women in Chattogram landslide on Monday and 156 last year.
Their fear intensified after the land grabbers damaged huge areas of hills and uprooted trees and bamboos which might lead to flash landslides, said experts and locals.
Meanwhile, the Met office has forecast heavy monsoon rains across the country and Chatto gram division.
Around 60-year old local resident lovely Begum who has been living in a hilly area for 25 years, said, “Man-made causes contributed largely to the past landslides in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. A political commitment is required to address those causes for averting disaster in the region.”
“Two of my sisters went missing in the landslide. We found one’s body,” said the victim’s brother Chain Kya U in Rangmati district.
“People living at the base of the hills have been evicted. They might be victims of landslide during monsoon,” Sheikh Jobaer Ahmed, Assistant Commissioner (land) of Chattagram Kattoli Circle.
CHT expert Bir Bahadur Ushwe Sing expressed anger at the lack of coordination among the ministries and departments concerned in dealing with the aftermath of the landslides.
M Shahidul Islam, Professor of Geography and Environment of the Dhaka University, said that the natural causes of landslides could not be prevented, but the man-made causes, including massive scale hill cutting and unauthorised settlements, could be controlled. To do so, a strong political commitment is a must.”.
“Bio-engineering and civil Engineering” measures may lower the risks of future disasters in the region, the professor said.
He said that a storm water drainage system was necessary in the region to ease water flow beside roads.
Contacted, A K M Mamunur Rashid, Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Rangamati district, told the New Nation on Wednesday, “We are primarily prepared to check deaths in landslides during rainy season.”
We have arranged awareness programmes like posturing, milking, view exchange in the Rangamati sadar, Kalukhali upazilas and some vurnable areas.
He demanded immediate construction of more shelters in the three hilly districts — Rangamati, Bandarban and Chittagong.
Meteorologist Muhammad Abul Kalam Mallik said, the rains may cause more landslides in the hills in Chittagong and Sylhet divisions.
Ghumdhum UP chairman AKM Jahangir said that the accidents took place where hill cutting under personal ownership went on.
MB Khisha, who has been living in Chattogram with her handicapped husband, claimed: “I have been living here since 1986. I bought the land. Recently local administration has demolished my house without any notice.”
“I saw a huge chunk of mud fall on seven to eight people when they were crossing the road in Rangmati sadar upazila in 2007,” said 76-year-old Naima, a disaster witness.
