50 families evicted as Ctg hillslide risk looms
Our Correspondent | Thursday, 4 July 2019
CHATTOGRAM, July 03: The Chattogram district administration evicted 50 families from the hill in the adjoining area of the Department of Environment (DoE) office in the port city on Wednesday.
The team evicted around 200 people from the houses.
The eviction drive was conducted from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm. But the magistrate aided by law enforcers could not evict all illegal dwellers in the face of resistance by the people residing on the hillsides illegally.
The eviction drive was conducted by Assistant Commissioner (Land) of Sadar Circle Ismail Hossain and Assistant Commissioner (Land) of Kattoli Circle Touhidul Islam.
More than 100 thousand (one lakh) people are living on the hillsides in Chattogram running the risk of landslide.
The Chattogram district administration, Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) and Chattogram Metropolitan Police (CMP) gave directives to shift the people from hillsides in the city in the current rainy season.
Assistant Commissioner (Land) of Kattoli Circle Tauhidul Islam said, "We have already evicted 50 dwelling houses from the DoE office area hills in the port city."
He said, "The administration evicts illegal dwellers during the monsoon every year. But, they are back there after the rainy season."
Assistant Commissioner (Land) of Sadar Circle Ismail Hossain said, "The administration conducts the eviction drive to save the dwellers from the risk of landslides. We want to reduce the loss of lives in landslide. So, we tried to evict the illegal dwellers from hills in the port city."
"There are more than 17 hills where the illegal dwellers are living at high risk of landslide during the monsoon. The influential persons set up slums and establishments on the hills illegally and the poor are living there," he said.
"There are 835 families living on the hills and hillsides now. Administration has already cut off the gas, power and WASA lines of the illegal dwellings. We will demolish all illegal establishments in the risky areas," he added.