Cutting hills for 'housing plots'

Despite a government ban, illegal hill cutting continues unabated in Pahartali area of Chittagong city.

In the last two month, two hills have been partially razed in the area north to the Lake City Housing Society of Chittagong City Corporation (CCC).

The Department of Environment (DoE) visited the site last month, and estimated that the area of newly razed hills could be around 1.5 acres, said Khandokar Mohammad Tahajut Ali, a DoE official.

“We issued show cause notices against six persons, whose names were on a signboard claiming ownership of the fattened land, on February 7 after finding evidence of hill cutting,” he said.

While visiting recently, it was found that the only road leading to the area goes through the housing society.

But, the Ansar members of CCC barred this correspondent from entering the area saying that only the land owners and men belonging to CCC councillor Jashim were allowed entrance.

However, this correspondent entered the area through the hills and found evidence of hill cutting although no one was seen in action.

The razed areas have been converted into plots and two signboards were erected claiming ownerships.

When contacted on a given phone number of a landowner, one Jainal said they have bought the land in a flattened state. He refused to provide further information and asked to contact councillor Jashim regarding hill cutting.

The Daily Star spoke to at least a dozen of locals regarding the issue, but they were reluctant to speak fearing repercussions.

Eventually, wishing anonymity, they alleged that councillor Jahurul Alam Jashim of ward-9 and his men were involved in hill cutting. The two hills were partially cut around two months ago, they said. They also alleged that councillor Jashim has the absolute authority in the area.

Earlier, hills on at least two acres of land had been razed in Pahartali area under Akbershah Police Station just after Jashim became the councillor of north Pahartali (ward-9) in 2015, according to DoE.

DoE also filed a case against Jashim and his associates on May 28 that year under the Bangladesh Environment Preservation Act.

According to the Kattali land office, the two acres of hills that were razed in 2015 in north Pahartali area falls under Bangladesh Survey Marks -- 178, 179 and 180. The area is completely hilly and has 27.5 acres of hills.

But, Bangladesh Environment Preservation Act 1995 (amended in 2000) prohibits cutting of hills without an approval from the authorities concerned. If anyone breaks the law, the punishment is up to two years' imprisonment or Tk 2 lakh fine, or both, for the first time. The second time, it is up to 10 years' imprisonment or Tk 10 lakh fine or both.

Seeking anonymity, some DoE officials alleged they were getting regular phone calls from a top Awami League leader of the city unit to exempt Jashim from the charge sheet in the case.

DoE is yet to submit the charge sheet as an investigation is underway, said DoE official Tahajut Ali.

“We are hoping to submit it (charge sheet) within this month,” said Azadur Rahman Mollick, director of DoE, Chittagong (metro).

When asked about the recent hill cutting, he said, “Legal actions will be taken against the six persons who were issued show cause notices for razing hills.”

Contacted over phone, councillor Jashim, also general secretary of ward-9 unit Awami League, said there has not been any hill cutting in the area for the last two years.

He denied his involvement in razing hills and claimed that his political opponents were making those false allegations.

The hills that were razed in the last two months were next to the Lake City Housing Project, he said. “I own a nominal amount of land there. The miscreants who are cutting the hills could be identified by checking ownership documents of the land.”

He alleged that influential people including police, journalists and government officials own lands in the area, and are involved in hill cutting, but everyone uses his name because of his involvement in politics.

According to the DoE documents, the Lake City Housing Project is around 30 acres, which used to be a hilly area. CCC bought the land in 2003.

Rafiqul Islam, superintendent engineer of CCC and also the project director, said all the lands were bought from individual owners. The project area has been flattened and divided into plots, each containing 2.5 kathas of land.

Afaj Ullah Chowdhury, general secretary of Lake City Housing Owners' Association, said the project has around 548 plots. So far, 148 have been handed over to plot owners.

When asked about the hill cutting near the area, he, however, evaded the question, and said, “I don't want to get into conflict with anyone.”

The main road of the housing project, stretching from south to north from the entrance, is 1,550 feet long and 40 feet wide, according to the DoE documents.

Locals said the hills to the north side of the project, which was previously unapproachable, has become easily accessible due to the construction of the road.

Taking advantage, some unscrupulous people are trying to flatten the hills and develop another housing project there, they alleged.

“DoE and other law enforcement agencies are not sincere in stopping the menace of hill cutting. Over the years, many hills have been destroyed in the city for housing projects. If it continues, the remaining hills would vanish soon,” said Edris Ali, vice president of Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (Bapa) Chittagong zone.

People should be made aware of the consequences of hill cutting, he said. Also, miscreants, regardless of who they are, must be given exemplary punishment.