Fear of landslide in CHT
Friday, 20 June 2008
NEWSPAPERS and TV channels have recently reported that the people residing in the hilly regions of the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) and some parts of Chittagong are facing the threat of landslides during this rainy season. This is because of the serious damage done to the environment. The destruction of the hills has compounded the problem. In addition to this, there were rampant felling of trees and construction of homes and office buildings in and around the hills.
There is definitely a sense of urgency among the government authorities to manage any post-disaster situation. We saw last year in Chittagong what landslide can do. Many people were killed, many were injured and many became homeless because of that landslide. After that, the government announced that appropriate actions would be taken against those responsible for such a disaster to take place. But so far people know nothing about what actions have been taken against those who were directly or indirectly responsible for the loss of those precious lives and valuable property.
Destroying the hills and uprooting trees were not earlier halted despite repeated warnings from environmentalists. The result has been the probable making of an environmental disaster. It is the time to identify the elements or bodies responsible for the destruction of the hills and the indiscriminate cutting down of the trees. At the same time, the authorities concerned as well as the social organisations must now undertake new afforestation programmes in the hilly areas as a protection against landslides and any other such devastation. The rest of the hills must be protected.
Aref Khan
Gulshan, Dhaka
There is definitely a sense of urgency among the government authorities to manage any post-disaster situation. We saw last year in Chittagong what landslide can do. Many people were killed, many were injured and many became homeless because of that landslide. After that, the government announced that appropriate actions would be taken against those responsible for such a disaster to take place. But so far people know nothing about what actions have been taken against those who were directly or indirectly responsible for the loss of those precious lives and valuable property.
Destroying the hills and uprooting trees were not earlier halted despite repeated warnings from environmentalists. The result has been the probable making of an environmental disaster. It is the time to identify the elements or bodies responsible for the destruction of the hills and the indiscriminate cutting down of the trees. At the same time, the authorities concerned as well as the social organisations must now undertake new afforestation programmes in the hilly areas as a protection against landslides and any other such devastation. The rest of the hills must be protected.
Aref Khan
Gulshan, Dhaka