CHATTOGRAM, May 19 (UNB): More than 1.0 million (10 lakh) people have been living on the slopes of 30 hills in the district amid danger of landslides during monsoon.
According to the Divisional Hill Management Committee, the 1.0 million people have been living in the 30 hills in Chattogram city, Sitakunda and Jangal Salimpur areas of the district renting makeshift houses.
Available statistics reveal that 127 people died in landslide in 2007, 11 in 2008, 15 in 2009 and 2010, 17 in 2011, 23 in 2012, five in 2013, six in 2015, 17 in 2016 and 29 in 2017.
Sources at the district administration said 30 hills have been identified as vulnerable to landslide. Of these, 12 were identified as vulnerable after the deadliest 2007 landslides. Some 666 families have been living in 12 hills in the city.
Among them, 320 families living in Motijharna and Batali hills in Lalkhan Bazar, 186 families in AK Khan hill, five in Ispahani hill, 12 in hills in Lake City area, 27 in Koiballodham Biswa Colony area hills, 22 in Akbar Shah area hills, 11 in City Corporation area hills, nine in Foy's Lake residential area hills, 38 in Forest Research Institute Academy area hills, three in Nasiraband Industrial area and 33 in Jalalabad Housing Society area hills.
The Divisional Hill Management Committee was formed after the death of 127 people in the deadliest landslide in 2007. The committee has, however, failed to take any effective step in the last 11 years to prevent living on hill slopes.
Sources said the activities of the committee are only limited to holding meetings during monsoon.
The committee, however, came up with 36 recommendations, including freeing the hills from illegal occupants, stopping deforestation, rehabilitation of the people who live on hill slopes and stopping hill cutting, lease out and grabbing, to prevent such deaths.
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