Risky living on hill slopes

With over hundreds of people dead in recent landslides in some districts of the country including two in Barlekha upazila of Moulvibazar, low-income people in Sylhet city are still living beneath hills risking their lives.

Rampant hill cutting and incessant rain that cause the soil of the hills to become soft, could result in deadly accidents anytime. Recently, some parts of a hill collapsed in Baluchar area of the city, but none was injured.

Rahat Anwar, deputy commissioner of Sylhet, said, “We had already directed all the Upazila Nirbahi Officers to tell the people living on the hill slopes to take shelters in safer places.

There is no accurate statistics of the number of the families living on the slopes, he added.

Gias Mia, member of Ward-6 in Tooltikar Union Parishad of Sylhet Sadar, said, “Though two to three families moved to safer places after the announcement, most of the families are still living in the area. Over a hundred people live on the hill slopes in my ward.”

“We wanted to stop hill cutting in the city but could not do so because of the influential people who are involved in the illegal act,” he added.

Abdul Karim Kim, general secretary of Sylhet unit Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (Bapa), said hill cutting continues in Baluchar, Fakirertila, Noabazar, Somratila, Pathantula, Kekna Tila and Agpara in the city.

After flattening hills, tin-roofed houses are built on the slopes to rent out to poor people, he said, adding that these people are living in a risky condition. The government is not paying due attention to the matter, he said.

Visiting the areas recently, this correspondent found that over a hundred families are still living on the hill slopes. Due to soil erosion, some hills have already become risky.

Muslim Mia, a day labourer who leaves in Kekna Tila, said, “We are staying here because the house rent is reasonable for us. Most of the families living here are poor.”

Hormuz Ali, a resident of the same area, said, “We rented a one-room house for Tk 1,000. When it rains I get scared. But if I leave this house, I may not be able to rent one again.”

“If the government allocates safer places for lower-income people like us, then we will be able to save ourselves,” he added.

Abdul Hye Al-Hadi, chief executive of Save the Heritage and Environment, said hundreds of families are living in fear of landslides in Sylhet city.

Vested quarters for their own interest have put the people at risk, he alleged.

The administration should relocate the people to safer places and show zero tolerance to the people who are engaged in illegal hill-cutting, he said.