File cases against those involved in hill cutting
It is most unfortunate that despite being fined several times by the Department of Environment (DoE) in the last three years for illegally cutting the hills of Chattogram's Mirsarai and Sitakunda upazilas, certain companies, including some renowned ones, have not stopped the illegal practice. On a recent visit to Mirsarai and Sitakunda, our correspondent found many companies cutting the hills of the areas without any interference. Although most of the companies in the area have made commitments to the DoE that they won't cut hills, they have not kept their promises and have been razing the hills secretly.
One thing is clear from this, only fining is not enough to make these big companies abide by the law. In order to make them comply with the relevant environmental laws, the DoE must come up with some strict measures, including filing cases against them, if needed. In addition, they should conduct mobile court drives regularly, not occasionally, against the companies.
It is good to know that the DoE has already made a list of companies who have been razing the hills, putting the environment at risk. Now what they should do is file cases against those accused. If a relevant case goes to court, the perpetrators could face 10 years in jail provided the DoE can prove the allegation. But sadly, the DoE has not succeeded in proving any of the allegation in court so far. This brings to the fore the question of their efficiency and the amount of pressure they face from the big companies who wield power over not only the DoE but also other government agencies concerned. The fact that the big companies always get away with only paying fines, make them more emboldened to go on with their despicable acts. We have also seen this in the case of river polluters. This culture of impunity must be broken.
Our hills, rivers and forests must be saved at all cost, for the sake of our own well-being. We would like to see strong commitment on part of the government to save our environment.
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