Indiscriminate hill cut continues in Ctg, govt to take stern action
Friday, 28 May 2010
CHITTAGONG, May 27 (BSS): Unabated hill cutting in the port city is increasingly posing a formidable threat to the ecological balance as well as bio-diversity despite the government's strong directives against such an unholy practice.
Chittagong Deputy Commissioner Faiz Ahmed told the news agency Thursday that the administration with the active cooperation of the public representatives and the police would soon take stern action against the unscrupulous hill cutters.
Mr Faiz was addressing a meeting at the city's Circuit House.
He said, "The administration has also decided to discuss the matter in the meeting to be attended by upazila chairmen, vice chairmen, upazila nirbahi officers (UNOs), district and metropolitan police, and representatives of Chittagong Development Authority (CDA) and Chittagong City Corporation (CCC)," he said.
Faiz Ahmed said it was the sacred responsibility of all to save hills and environment from the hill cutters to protect the picturesque beauty of the port city and also the next generations from the adverse impacts of climate change.
The entire hill range from Mirsharai via Chittagong to Teknaf in Cox's Bazar district with its large numbers of greenery was the symbol of boundless natural beauty and geographical uniqueness, protecting the people and their property from natural disasters like earthquake and tidal surge for decades as hills are considered as 'Isocratic balance' of the earth.
Experts said indiscriminate cutting and destruction of hills were not only posing a great threat to entire ecology and bio-diversity but also causing various man-made disasters on the economy and the urban life in the region.
According to official and unofficial sources, at least 200 hills, both small and big, were either destroyed or razed down by the influential land developer syndicates as well as individuals over the last one decade in the city and on its outskirts.
They said famous hills and mountains in Chandgaon, Pahartali, Khulshi, Kotwali, Doublemooring, Bayezeed Bostami and Hathazari and Sitakunda upazilas were either leveled or razed down heavily by the land terrors.
Local people said organised syndicates in connivance with influential persons were running this illegal business by cutting hills.
More that 200 people were killed under landslides while 137 people died on March 11 in 2007 due to hill cutting over the years, sources said.
Officials of the Chittagong Development Authority (CDA) said the 1985 act should be amended to discourage hill cutting in the region.
Different socio-cultural organisations including members of the civil society and environment activists vehemently protested the illegal hill cutting through holding rallies, processions, seminars and human chains for a long time.
"But all cries to protect the hills seems to have gone unheard," said Dr Jahangir Alam, an environmentalist and professor of CU of Engineering and Technology (CUET).
He stressed on further strengthening the 12-member monitoring committee against hill cutting formed in 2008.
Chittagong Deputy Commissioner Faiz Ahmed told the news agency Thursday that the administration with the active cooperation of the public representatives and the police would soon take stern action against the unscrupulous hill cutters.
Mr Faiz was addressing a meeting at the city's Circuit House.
He said, "The administration has also decided to discuss the matter in the meeting to be attended by upazila chairmen, vice chairmen, upazila nirbahi officers (UNOs), district and metropolitan police, and representatives of Chittagong Development Authority (CDA) and Chittagong City Corporation (CCC)," he said.
Faiz Ahmed said it was the sacred responsibility of all to save hills and environment from the hill cutters to protect the picturesque beauty of the port city and also the next generations from the adverse impacts of climate change.
The entire hill range from Mirsharai via Chittagong to Teknaf in Cox's Bazar district with its large numbers of greenery was the symbol of boundless natural beauty and geographical uniqueness, protecting the people and their property from natural disasters like earthquake and tidal surge for decades as hills are considered as 'Isocratic balance' of the earth.
Experts said indiscriminate cutting and destruction of hills were not only posing a great threat to entire ecology and bio-diversity but also causing various man-made disasters on the economy and the urban life in the region.
According to official and unofficial sources, at least 200 hills, both small and big, were either destroyed or razed down by the influential land developer syndicates as well as individuals over the last one decade in the city and on its outskirts.
They said famous hills and mountains in Chandgaon, Pahartali, Khulshi, Kotwali, Doublemooring, Bayezeed Bostami and Hathazari and Sitakunda upazilas were either leveled or razed down heavily by the land terrors.
Local people said organised syndicates in connivance with influential persons were running this illegal business by cutting hills.
More that 200 people were killed under landslides while 137 people died on March 11 in 2007 due to hill cutting over the years, sources said.
Officials of the Chittagong Development Authority (CDA) said the 1985 act should be amended to discourage hill cutting in the region.
Different socio-cultural organisations including members of the civil society and environment activists vehemently protested the illegal hill cutting through holding rallies, processions, seminars and human chains for a long time.
"But all cries to protect the hills seems to have gone unheard," said Dr Jahangir Alam, an environmentalist and professor of CU of Engineering and Technology (CUET).
He stressed on further strengthening the 12-member monitoring committee against hill cutting formed in 2008.