20,000 people vulnerable to landslide in Rangamati town
Clusters of houses built by cutting hills illegally
With the onset of rains, people living in hillside houses at Rangamati town face risk of landslide any time. Photo: STAR
About 20,000 people living in houses built by cutting hills in Rangamati town, are vulnerable to landslides during rain. Clusters of houses on hill slopes and those built by cutting hills sprang up in the tourist town due to authorities' apathy for long in enforcing environmental laws, according to sources. As rains set in triggering apprehension of landslides, district information officials have finished their duty by making loudspeaker announcements in the town urging the residents to leave vulnerable houses and take shelter in safer places. Every year during rainy season, landslides kill many people in the hill town and other areas of the district. This correspondent during visit yesterday and the day before scopes of poor families living in vulnerable houses in Reserve Bazar, Police Line, Omdamiah Hill, and areas near Public Health office, Women College, SP office, Indrapuri Cinema Hall, Sadar Hospital, Vedvedi, Muslim Para, Juba Unnayan office, Swarnatila, Rajmoni Para and CHT Development Board office. Clusters of thatched houses in the areas have been built by cutting hills. Many more such thatched and semi-pucca houses are there on both sides of Chittagong-Rangamati road, which are very risky in the rainy season. The district administration so far did not take any step to stop building houses on hill slopes or by cutting hills. Neither the administration has taken any action against land grabbers and hill cutters, sources in the district administration admitted while talking to this correspondent. Contacted, Deputy Commissioner Md. Nurul Amin said he has given directive to all upazila nirbahi officers (UNOs) to alert people about possible landslide. “I also ordered district information office to make announcements in the district town so that people can be take shelter in safer places”. He however claimed that any major hill cutting in Rangamati did not take place in recent days The DC said the administration is prepared to tackle any natural disaster, he added.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel.
Comments