Rejoinder, our reply
The Chattogram Development Authority (CDA) has protested The Daily Star's report titled "Nothing seems to deter it: CDA continues razing hills even after DoE fines it Tk 10 cr".
In a rejoinder sent on March 3, the CDA authorities said that the report which drew our attention was incorrect. The DoE fined the CDA on January 29, against which the CDA appealed to the relevant authority. The CDA did not cut any hills after being fined by the DoE. The CDA will "dress up" the hills in line with hill management plan. That's why the report is not correct and the photograph published with the report fell beyond the project alignment.
As per the above-mentioned facts, the report saying the CDA is cutting hills is not correct.
Our reply
The report was published based on the facts found by the DoE inspection team and field visit by our correspondent on March 2.
The DoE already served the project director and its contracting firm with a notice to appear at a hearing regarding further hill cutting by the CDA.
During the inspection, the DoE found that 40,000 square feet of hills had been razed within the periphery of the base camp built to oversee the work of the Link Road Project. As it is a hilly area, there is no way for people to cut the hill from behind as the road to affected spot is only accessible through the entrance gate controlled by the CDA.
As per the DoE documents, the CDA did not follow the proper procedures to comply with environmental norms since the beginning of the project. Lines of hills that formed the unique natural beauty of Jongol Salimpur area were razed at whims by the CDA. The very fact was raised by the director general of the DoE during his visit on January 27.
A fine of Tk 10 lakh was imposed on the CDA in 2017 by the DoE. The CDA never presented an environmental monitoring plan, which was stipulated while issuing environmental clearance by the DoE to submit it after every three months. The DoE slapped another fine on the CDA of Tk 10 crore and 38 lakh. Spectra was also fined Tk five crore subsequently by the DoE for hill cutting.
A large part of a hill just behind the base camp of the Link Road Project was found razed. This correspondent visited the spot on March 2 and saw that the equipment used to cut hills was for the CDA project. Locals who spoke to this correspondent also said the hills behind the base camp was being cut by the CDA.
We stand by our report.
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