Experts stress on drains to avert landslides

A group of experts have stressed for the need of proper management of roadside rainwater drainage system to avert landslides in the Chittagong Hill Tract regions.

They identified excessive rainfall, thunders and soft sedimentation on mountain slopes as the major causes of landslide at a seminar arranged in Dhaka today.

In June, landslides killed over 170 people in the hills, 120 of them in Rangamati alone. Hill-cutting was identified as the key factor behind the series of deadly landslides.

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A seminar titled “Landslides in Chittagong Hill Tracts: Causes and Prevention” discussed the issue today in International Conference Centre of CIRDAP Centre.

The speakers placed a six-point recommendation to preventing such tragedies which include protection of land surface, placing foundation deep into basement rocks and introduction of bioengineering methods.

Prof Dr Gowher Rizvi, an adviser to the prime minister, was present at the seminar as its chief guest. The programme was chaired by Naba Bikram Kishore Tripura, secretary of Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs Ministry.