Illegal hill cutting a new menace for Lawachara

Illegal hill cutting continues unabated for commercial purpose in Lawachara forest area of Srimangal and Kamalganj upazilas under the district, much to the worry of environmentalists and conscious people.

A section of political leaders, influential people and businessmen are involved in razing the hills as the authorities concerned are turning a blind eye.

The callous act of razing hills in unplanned way for construction of cottages and hotels posed a serious threat to environment and biodiversity and increases the risk of hill slides during the rains, environmentalists said.

In 2014 mobile courts fined a few offenders for building cottages in areas near the forest, but the unlawful activities by the greedy people resumed shortly afterwards.

Under the Wildlife (Preservation) (Amendment) Act of 1996, part of the West Bhanugach Reserved Forest was declared "Lawachara National Park," which encompasses an area of 1250 hectares.

Photo: Mintu Deshwa

Finding high business potential, political leaders, influential people and unscrupulous businessmen bought and leased lands near the Lawachara forest defying environment laws, said an official of the Directorate of Environment (DoE) in Sylhet.

They made a lemon garden and set up several small resorts including Jungle Cottage, Nishargo Litchi, Nishargo Nirob, Armited, Amazon, Himachal, Santibari, Nirbon, Amar Bari and Grand Mubin, but those were done without the permission from the DoE.

Rokon Mia, owner of Jungle Cottage, claimed that he built the cottage on his own land without harming the environment.

Sajjadur Rahman, owner of 36 acres of land inside Lawacherra forest in Srimangal, said, "It is very important to cut hills and make roads for cottages. If I do not make a road, it will hamper my business."

Abdul Karim Kim, general secretary of Bangladesh Paribesh Andolon's Sylhet chapter, said the reckless tourism and setting up of resorts around Lawachhara harms the rare rainforest and poses threat of landslides, especially during the rainy season.

"Different species of wildlife are facing threat due to the hill cutting. We demand proper management and protection of Lawachhara National Park," he added.

Nobody has the right to cut hills without the permission of the Directorate of Environment (DoE), said Muhaimin Milton, general secretary of Moulvibazar Environmental Journalists' Forum.

Influential people are levelling hills and building cottages near Lawachara area in Kamalganj upazila under the nose of administration but the officials concerned are mysteriously silent, he added.

"Hill cutting is causing serious threat to wildlife. But these issues are to be handled by the DoE," said Md Tabibur Rahman, assistant conservator of forest of Wildlife Management and Nature Conservation Department.

Md Saleh Uddin Chowdhury, director of the DoE in Sylhet, said, "Grand Sultan Tea Resort and Golf Club have been set up with the permission from our department but others did not bother to take our permission for setting up establishments."

Sharif Jamil, joint secretary of Bangladesh Paribesh Andolon, said, "In general the government's policy sounds pro-environment and pro-people, but adversity arises when the question of implementing environmental laws come as vested quarters often interferes."

Development needs to be sustainable and it should not be at the cost of nature, he added.