Special Correspondent :
Rights groups and geologists have blamed unplanned cutting and development projects of the settlers for Tuesday’s tragic landslides in Chittagong and Rangamati and Bandarban districts of Chittagong Hill Tracts leaving at least 150 dead.
Terming the landslide a ‘man-made disaster’, they said dozens of new road construction inside the hills by different authorities by cutting huge soil and uprooting trees have increased the velocity of destruction. And so, The incessant rain and upstream water flow for the last three days were not the main reasons behind the landslide, they said.
Ain O Salish Kendra’s Executive Director Sheepa Hafiza on Wednesday said: “Although there is a tendency to blame nature for the landslides, in fact the disaster is manmade. The settlers don’t know how to keep the forest intact. Besides, the land grabbers cut forest for business purpose.”
Earlier on June 11, 2007, about 135 people were killed and 200 others injuried in a series of landslides at Khulshi, Bayezid Bostami, Pahartoli and Hathazari areas in Chittagong and some parts of Cox’s Bazar.
Officials said the government had formed an 11-member technical committee in 2007 to find out the
reasons behind the landslide and get recommendations to prevent such incidents in future. But the committee’s recommendations were not followed properly while conducting development works in the hill areas of Chittagong region, they said.
Shahidul Islam, Professor of Geography and Environmental Science at Dhaka University who was also a member of the technical committee, said the landslides in hill districts are “totally manmade”.
“The people cut trees and set fire on grasses to get ready the lands for cultivation or constructing homes. But it creates deep cracks on the ground. Water makes the cracks broader during heavy downpour which displaces the ground layer. And landslide begins,” Professor Islam said.
The environmentalist also said the leaseers also destruct a large number of hills each year for commercial purpose. “They take lease of hills from the government, which are covered with forest. But in the first stage, they destruct the forest by cutting trees and burning the grasses. Later, they cut soil to turn the hill into a plane land. It’s a big reason for the series of landslides.”
Meanwhile, the Jatiya Sangsad on Wednesday expressed deep shock at the loss of lives, including those of four army men, in the landslide.
“The last two days’ rain triggered a series of landslides in hill areas including Chittagong where four army men who were engaged in rescue operation also fell victim to the landslide. A fresh landslide buried them,” Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury told the Jatiya Sangsad.
The Speaker also conveyed deep sympathy to the bereaved families of the victims and also prayed for the salvation of the departed souls.
Cancelling the leave of officials concerned in that region, the Ministry of Health yesterday took an elaborate programme with engaging 483 medical teams in Chittagong and the CHT regions.
“We’ve given instructions to the hospitals soon after the landslides. We’ve also supplied adequate medical equipment to treat each and every injured person. A control room has been set-up there which is now being monitored from Dhaka,” the Health Minister Mohammad Nasim said.
Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader yesterday visited different areas of Rangamati, Bandarban and Chittagong districts “The government will distribute Tk 50 lakh, 100 tonnes of rice and 500 bundles of corrugated tin among the landslide victims of Rangamati,” Quader said.
Rights groups and geologists have blamed unplanned cutting and development projects of the settlers for Tuesday’s tragic landslides in Chittagong and Rangamati and Bandarban districts of Chittagong Hill Tracts leaving at least 150 dead.
Terming the landslide a ‘man-made disaster’, they said dozens of new road construction inside the hills by different authorities by cutting huge soil and uprooting trees have increased the velocity of destruction. And so, The incessant rain and upstream water flow for the last three days were not the main reasons behind the landslide, they said.
Ain O Salish Kendra’s Executive Director Sheepa Hafiza on Wednesday said: “Although there is a tendency to blame nature for the landslides, in fact the disaster is manmade. The settlers don’t know how to keep the forest intact. Besides, the land grabbers cut forest for business purpose.”
Earlier on June 11, 2007, about 135 people were killed and 200 others injuried in a series of landslides at Khulshi, Bayezid Bostami, Pahartoli and Hathazari areas in Chittagong and some parts of Cox’s Bazar.
Officials said the government had formed an 11-member technical committee in 2007 to find out the
reasons behind the landslide and get recommendations to prevent such incidents in future. But the committee’s recommendations were not followed properly while conducting development works in the hill areas of Chittagong region, they said.
Shahidul Islam, Professor of Geography and Environmental Science at Dhaka University who was also a member of the technical committee, said the landslides in hill districts are “totally manmade”.
“The people cut trees and set fire on grasses to get ready the lands for cultivation or constructing homes. But it creates deep cracks on the ground. Water makes the cracks broader during heavy downpour which displaces the ground layer. And landslide begins,” Professor Islam said.
The environmentalist also said the leaseers also destruct a large number of hills each year for commercial purpose. “They take lease of hills from the government, which are covered with forest. But in the first stage, they destruct the forest by cutting trees and burning the grasses. Later, they cut soil to turn the hill into a plane land. It’s a big reason for the series of landslides.”
Meanwhile, the Jatiya Sangsad on Wednesday expressed deep shock at the loss of lives, including those of four army men, in the landslide.
“The last two days’ rain triggered a series of landslides in hill areas including Chittagong where four army men who were engaged in rescue operation also fell victim to the landslide. A fresh landslide buried them,” Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury told the Jatiya Sangsad.
The Speaker also conveyed deep sympathy to the bereaved families of the victims and also prayed for the salvation of the departed souls.
Cancelling the leave of officials concerned in that region, the Ministry of Health yesterday took an elaborate programme with engaging 483 medical teams in Chittagong and the CHT regions.
“We’ve given instructions to the hospitals soon after the landslides. We’ve also supplied adequate medical equipment to treat each and every injured person. A control room has been set-up there which is now being monitored from Dhaka,” the Health Minister Mohammad Nasim said.
Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader yesterday visited different areas of Rangamati, Bandarban and Chittagong districts “The government will distribute Tk 50 lakh, 100 tonnes of rice and 500 bundles of corrugated tin among the landslide victims of Rangamati,” Quader said.
