Devastating monsoon
Zabed Wali, Pahartali, Chittagong
Monsoon rains, a blessing from above, turned out to be a demonic force as rain fell incessantly, causing flasfloods that took the people of Chittagong by surprise. The torrential rain--240mm in 24 hours triggered a mudslide that came down like an avalanche and buried the poor denizens who happened to live at the bottom or the sides of the hills. The fact is that these hills, denuded of foliage, mangled by the land grabbers, were unable to withstand the heavy rain. The death toll continued to climb :the macabre news and photos occupied the front page of the dailes for few days. According to the reports circulated through the media, the bigshots of the town are involved in the business of hill-cutting. In the name of real state development many hills have already been leveled. These days many hills exist only in the memory of the citizens as the actual hills are non-existent. To make matters worse, most of the sewer lines and canals are clogged with waste. Again, land grabbers have not spared those important arteries of the city. Finally, the ill-fated people who lost their lives had no option, or little option which is why they had to live under a sandy precipice. They are the faceless masses who eke out a living by the sweat of their brow, but are condemned to a life of misery.
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