The press conference was organised by Save the Environ-ment Movement at the National Press Club in the city to present its report on the recent mudslide in Chittagong that claimed 129 lives and damaged properties worth crores of taka.

A team of Save the Environment Movement visited the affected areas and prepared the report.

In his report, Prof ASM Maksud Kamal of geology department at Dhaka University said the destruction of natural slope of hills by cutting to an angle over 75 degrees is one of the main causes of the landslide.

He recommended that the vulnerable people who are living at the foothills should be immediately removed and the government should go for afforestation particularly with those trees, which will conserve the soil.

Abu Naser Khan, convener of Save the Environment Movement, said though 12 landslides at Lebubagan, Kachiapara, Segantorpara, Motijhorna, Debarpar, Chittagong University and Foy's lake area caused the fatalities, over one hundred landslides occurred at various parts of the district on that day.

He observed that denuding of hills and initiating of new plantation by destroying the natural forest were also responsible for the landslide.

Prof AQM Mahbub of geography and environment department stressed on proper drainage system so that the rainwater can flow down easily from the hills.

"The canals, which were grabbed by money-mongers, should be recovered without delay," he said, adding, people who are staying in this region must adopt the technology of indigenous people.

Giving support to this observation, Major General (Retd) Amin also said the indigenous people in Chittagong Hill Tracts use very light materials to build their houses.

"The hills which are made of sedimentary rocks, cannot endure any strong foundation," he observed.

Prof Moniruzzaman of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology termed the disaster 'revenge of nature' and insisted on bringing unplanned urbanisation to an end right now.