CCC 'cutting' hill to make road

A large portion of a hill in South Khulshi area of the city has allegedly been razed under the direction of the Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) to make a road.

However, CCC officials claimed that they did not flatten any hill rather used a portion of the land owned by a person beside the hill to built the road.

On the other hand, Chittagong Institute for Development of Education and Research (CIDER) trust claims that the hill was owned by them.

Vice Chairman of CIDER trust Nader Khan in a written allegation, sent to the Department of Environment (DoE) in May, said around 200 to 250 people led by a contractor on May 18 gathered in the area and started cutting the hill.

“When they were asked to stop they became aggressive and said it would be a road of the CCC.”

The workers alleged that the road is being made under the direction of Mohammed Hossain Hiron, councillor of ward-13 (Pahartali), said Nader.

“The next day, after measuring we found that around 11,232 square feet of the hill had been flattened for the road,” he claimed.

DoE Official Khandokar Mohammad Tahajut Ali said they recently visited the area and found evidence of hill cutting. They also issued a show cause notice to Hiron.

The razed portion of the hill fall in the Bangladesh Survey Marks 3,908 and 3,911, classified as hills in the government documents, according to the DoE.

“We issued a notice to Hiron on May 28 to remain present at a hearing at the DoE office but he did not show up. He later sent a letter where he claimed that the road is being made by the CCC and he has no involvement with it,” said the DoE official.

“We are not satisfied with his answer and will send the notice again. If he cannot present satisfactory documents, legal actions will be taken against him,” he added.

Some locals, requesting anonymity, said there used to be a five feet road next to the hill.

The new road is being built to make the hills on the south side accessible. After that, those hills will be flattened for making housing plots, they alleged.

Visiting the site recently, this correspondent saw that a huge portion of the green hill has been flattened. Around 20 workers were working on the site.

Contractor Alauddin who was overseeing the construction said the road will be made 1,000 feet long and 22 feet wide and it is being made as per CCC's direction.

Asked whether they have any work permit from the CCC, he said they have but could not show it.

Contacted, CCC Chief Engineer Lt Col Mohiuddin Ahmed said the road is being made under Annual Development Budget (ADB) fund and it is a sub-project of “development of different roads and establishment of asphalt plant at Sagarica.”

“In short we call it Asphalt Plant Project,” said Mohiuddin.

“The road would drastically reduce the traffic jam in South Khulsi area,” said the chief engineer, adding, around Tk 70 lakh will be spent to build it. The construction work started in May and is supposed to be finished by this month, he added.

Denying the allegation of hill cutting in the area, he said there was no hill in the area when we began the construction work for the road. “A person is claiming a portion of the land on which the road is being constructed. We are talking to the claimant and if necessary we will acquire the land.”

Meanwhile, Councillor Hiron said the road is being built for public interest. “There was no hill where the road is being made. Not in reality or in documents. The DoE issued the notice out of its jurisdiction.”

According to Bangladesh Environment Preservation Act 1995 (amended in 2000) cutting hill without an approval of the DoE is illegal.

The punishment for breaking the law is up to two years' imprisonment or Tk 2 lakh fine, or both for the first time. The second time, it is up to 10 years' imprisonment or Tk 10 lakh fine or both.

Mentionable, another CCC councillor of ward-9 Jahurul Alam Jashim was sued for cutting hills in Pahartali area in 2015. The DoE submitted a charge-sheet against him in March 2017 after The Daily Star published a report on that.