About 300 flood-affected families in Tahirpur upazila of Sunamganj seen with relief materials provided by an organisation on Sunday — FE photo SYLHET, July 15: Officials at the Sylhet district and Sadar upazila administration launched on Monday a drive to evict the people residing on the makeshift tin-shed houses built on the hill slopes in different areas under Sylhet Sadar.
It was done amid the risks of mud-sliding as the Sylhet region has been experiencing excessive rain during the last few days, an official said.
Some executive magistrates from the district administration and Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer Kazi Mohua Momtaj conducted the drive at hill slopes at Bohor and Jahangirnagar areas.
The officials during the drive asked the residents for taking shelter on the temporary camps, set by the administration for a few days, otherwise, they would be forced to leave the houses soon.
It may be stated here that at least 15,000 people are living with the risk on slopes of hills and hillocks in Sylhet region. Especially during the rainy season, they pass odd time apprehending mudslides around their tin shed structures.
Almost every year some of the poor and grassroots families fall victim to such untoward incidents in the region. But even then things are to be contained as yet, as the authority concerned does not think of any permanent solution although everybody is seen serious after any incident of death by the sudden mudslides.
Generally, people are shifted or evacuated after death of inmates on small houses on the hills almost every year.
Even risking their lives a good number of people do live in the small rooms on the hillock slopes in Sylhet city suburban areas like Baluchar, Akhalia, Airport Road, Nalia, Bhatera, Alurtal and Khadimpara.
However, such temporary habitats are seen at places in other upazilas like Jaintapur, Gowainghat, Golapganj, Beanibazar and Fenchuganj.
Besides, things are there in different upazilas of Moulvibazar district like Barlekha, Kulaura and Srimangal. It isseen in upazilas -Bahubal and Nabiganj in Habiganj district too.
An official said during the monsoon the administration often make announcement through loudspeakers locally asking the inhabitants of those unsafe structures to leave the homesteads, but since the poor people don't belong any home or land, they can't move to any safe place.
Rather they take shelter on the temporary places just for days. But they return weeks after the end of monsoon every year.
As the rainy season is on, there would be announcements to evacuate such people living on the hillock slopes, said an official at the district administration.
Considering the problem as a serious one, a number of social leaders have urged the government to rehabilitate such ultra poor people on the government-planned cluster villages on emergency basis. Besides, restriction should also be imposed on making such habitats on the hillock slopes, they opined.
© 2024 - All Rights with The Financial Express
