Staff Reporter :
Thousands of families in the hilly Khagrachhari district are living with risk to landslide with the advent of the monsoon.
The local administration has requested the vulnerable families who are in risk of landslide to move to safe places for the time being.
Every year the anxiety and fear loom large in the three hilly districts Khagrachhari, Rangamati and Bandarban where families pass nightmarish hours during the rainy season and heavy rainfall.
Thousands of families in different areas of Khagrachhari including Nancy Bazar, Kalabagan, Mollapara, Sabujbag, Atharo Paribar, Shalban are living with high risk of landslide.
Over the last few years, the losses of the lives and properties in the hilly districts have been increased.
Despite the administration’s warning not to construct houses on the slope of the hills, the number of construction of buildings by cutting the hills is on the rise.
Though frequent drives on behalf of the administration are imperative to prevent such accidents of landslide, the drives are not seen round the year.
The inhabitants of the hilly districts said, they are living on the slope of the hills as there is acute crisis of household facilities to live.
The local environmentalists alleged that the building codes are not following in the construction of houses of the hills. As a result the risk of landslide is mounting, they said.
General Secretary of Khagrachhari Environment Protection Movement Muhammad Abu Daud told the media, the indiscriminate cutting of hills for the construction of makeshift houses or residential buildings is responsible for the high risk of landslides.
“Thousands of families are now in the risk of landslide with the advent of rainy season. There are many risky houses in a number of areas in different Upazilas of the district,” he said.
“The administration should immediately shift these families to safer places. Besides, tough actions should be taken against the responsible persons who are destroying the hills,” he added.
Khagrachhari Municipality Mayor Nirmolendu Chowdhury said, “We are active to prevent the landslide in the hill tracts area. We are ready if evacuation is necessary to evacuate the locals to safe place amid the heavy rainfall.”
He said there was risk of losses of lives if actions are not taken to stop hill cutting and construction of residential buildings.
The locals said that the administration along with others can prevent the construction of houses in the hilly areas.
They said that zero tolerance policy is needed to prevent the loss of lives and properties every year.
