145 families at risk of landslide evicted from Ctg hills

After a landslide killed four people, Chattogram District Administration today (June 19, 2022) evicted 145 families living in the hills near Foy's Lake in the port city.

Masud Rana, assistant commissioner (Land) of the Chandgaon Circle; Omar Faruk, assistant commissioner (Land) of Kattoli Circle; and Al Amin, assistant commissioner (Land) of Agrabad Circle, led the eviction drives, reports our Chattogram staff correspondent.

A total of 145 families were evicted because they were vulnerable to landslides. Besides, their utility connections like power, gas and water were severed so that the occupants cannot return to the hills, said Plabon Kumar Biswas, an officer at Chattogram District Administration.

Photo: Collected

The local administration asked the people to move to safer places as part of a disaster mitigation initiative.

According to the Chattogram District Administration, there are 28 hills in the district which are vulnerable to landslides during rainy seasons.

The district administration has so far listed 835 families who are living on the 17 most vulnerable hills.

Meanwhile, the Chattogram Met Office recorded 104.9 mm rainfall in the last 24 hours.

According to the forecast of the Chattogram Met Office, heavy rain is likely to continue in greater Chattogram, raising the possibility of more landslides.

Many people remained in their shanty-like homes at the foot of the hills risking their lives, despite warnings by the local administrations.

The district administrations opened 19 makeshift shelters for people evacuated and rescued from landslide spots.

There are allegations that politically influential people grabbed the hills, built makeshift homes and rented them out to lower-income people.

Meanwhile, the Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) today issued a statement to the media expressing displeasure over the lack of coordination of service providers and slowness of mega projects in resolving water-logging in port city.

Around 170 people died in massive landslides in June 2017 in Chattogram, Rangamati and Bandarban districts, disconnecting regional communication for days.