Rampant hill cutting poses threat to CHT environment

Despite an official ban, illegal hill cutting continues unabated in Khagrachhari. PHOTO: STAR

A group of influential people including some dishonest businessmen are involved in illegal hill cutting, sources said.

This syndicate employs a number of daylabourers in hill cutting at different areas in the district paying Tk 100 to 120 per day as wages.

The unscrupulous businessmen supply hilly soil to fill up canals and low lands for constructing houses and markets in Chittagong city and its adjacent areas.

"Soil supply has become a profitable business among the hill cutters as they need only a little investment for a huge profit. A truck of hilly soil is sold at Tk 500." sources said.

Hill cutting causes landslides in rainy season in Khagrachhari decreasing soil fertility and damaging life and property in the district, environmentalists alleged.

The hill cutting is a common sight at Shalban, Comilla Tila, T&T building area, Sabujbag, New Police Line area, Panchmile area, D C Hills, Jail Hills, Roads and Highway Rest House Hills, Dalia Bridge area on Chittagong-Khagrachhari Road, Boalkhali in Dighinala upazila, Tetultala and No-1 Kadamtali area.

Besides, hill cutting is going on in full swing in all the eight upazilas of the district.

Sources said some government establishments are now dangerously exposed to collapsing during rainy season due to hill cutting.

By cutting hill, the public works department also had constructed a dormitory building for Textiles Vocational Institute at Shalban area while an influential person developed a commercial plot at Hospital Road in the town.

Local environmental activists and journalists filed several general diaries with police stations in regard to hill cutting. But the administration is yet to take any effective steps to protect the hills from depletion.

Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (Bela) issued on February 27 a legal notice to secretaries of three ministries for taking immediate actions against the plunderers of hills. The ministries were environment and forest, land and public works.

Bela also issued notice to divisional commissioner of Chittagong, deputy commissioner of Khagrachhari, environment departments in Dhaka and Chittagong, SP of Khagrachhari and UNO of Dighinala upazilla in this regard.