Despite landslide risks, around 20,000 families have been living on the slopes of hills in Cox's Bazar town and elsewhere in the district.
Growing rains with the advent of monsoon and unabated hill cutting have intensified the risk of landslide, creating panic among the hill residents.
Azmul Huda, general secretary of Cox’s Bazar Forest and Environment Conservation Council, an environmental organisation, said, “The Rohingya people who have been living in Ukhiya and Tekhnaf areas after cutting over 6,000 acres of forest also brace for possible landslides.”
Besides, over 10,000 families in Badshaghona, Light House, Dakkhin Diggul, Dakkhin Hazipara, Pahartali, Sahikkika Palli, Ghonarpara, Moheshkhailla Para, Kalatali Adarshagram, Borachara, Boidyaghona, Mohajerpara, Link Road, Muhuri Para, Janarghora areas of Cox’s Bazar town are at the risk of landslide, he added.
Azmul Huda said 10,000 families are living amid danger in the hilly areas of Ramu, Moheshkhali, Teknaf, Ukhiya and Pekua upazilas. Most of the houses have been built on forest and government (khas) lands.
Some residents of the town said many illegal structures have been established by cutting forest land and hills owned by the district administration.
President of Cox’s Bazar Banchao Andolon advocate Ayachhur Rahman said it is necessary to evict the illegal structures from the vulnerable hills well before the monsoon sets in.
“Now the list of casualties will be long if landslides occur in the area,” he said.
Nurul Amin, deputy director of Cox’s Bazar Environment Department, was quoted by UNB as saying that at least 54 people, including six members of Bangladesh Army, were killed in landslides in different areas of the district in 2010.
A total of 200 people die due to landslides in between 2010 and 2017 in the district, he cited.
“Eviction drives alone can’t solve the problem as it needs massive awareness to stop living on hill slopes,” Nurul Amin said.
He said miscreants are cutting hills secretly at nights despite regular drives against illegal hill cutting. “Manpower crisis hampers our drive,”
Sources at Cox’s Bazar Forest Department said 5,341 hectares of land of the South Forest department and 7,053 hectares under West Forest Department have been grabbed.
Hundreds of people are also living in khas land on hills of the district administration after capturing those, the sources said.
Deputy Commissioner of Cox’s Bazar Md Kamal Hossain said people living in hills will be shifted to safer places like previous years.
“There was no serious accident last year due to the collective efforts of all, he said, adding, "We’ve formed several committees to conduct eviction drives in the hills [this year]."
