6,558 families live illegally on Ctg hills

At least 6,558 families are still living on 26 hills in various parts of Chattogram city, violating the law and endangering the hills, according to the Hill Management Committee of Chattogram.

The committee revealed the data at its 28th meeting at the Circuit House in the port city today.

At the meeting, Tofayel Islam, convener of the committee and divisional commissioner of Chattogram, asked authorities concerned, including Power Development Board, to disconnect utility services within the next 15 days.

Over 20,000 people currently reside on these hills, which are being subjected to indiscriminate hill razing, said Abul Basar Mohammad Fakhruzzaman, deputy commissioner of Chattogram.

According to documents revealed in the meeting, most of the families live on seven hills owned by Bangladesh Railways.

When asked, Sujan Chowdhury, estate officer (east) of BR, claimed that they have removed over 1,700 illegal structures from these hills in the past two years, but no action has been able to deter grabbers, as people just return to the hills following evacuation drives.

Fakhruzzaman claimed that they evacuated grabbers from three state-owned hills recently.

"We fenced these hills to protect them from grabbers," he added.

At the meeting, participants demanded that the administration make life imprisonment the sentence for hill-cutting.

CAMPAIGN TO EVACUATE HILL RESIDENTS TO SAFETY

Meanwhile, the Chattogram district administration has started a publicity campaign in different hills to raise awareness among people about hillslides during the monsoon.

A total of six teams, led by executive magistrates, have been campaigning through loudspeakers and asking people living on risky hill slopes to evacuate their homes and come to the shelter centres.

Campaigns were conducted in the hills near Akbar Shah Jheel areas, Bijaynagar Hill, Shantinagar Hill, Tankir Pahar, Paharika, Ambagan, Debarpar, and Railway Hill areas in the city.

Tanvir-al-Nasif, additional deputy commissioner (land acquisition) of Chattogram District Administration, said, "According to the forecast, heavy showers will continue for the next two to three days, so we have taken preparations to evacuate the people living on risky hill slopes."

The schools, colleges, and madrasa buildings are ready to be used as shelter centres in the respective areas, he added.

Yusuf Hasan, executive magistrate of AC Land (Chandgaon circle), said the district administration has allocated dry food for the people taking shelter there.