Lurking danger at hillsides

As many as 30,000 people are at present vulnerable to landslides in the Bandarban region. The authorities, as we have seen over the last few years, have consistently warned people against residing on the hill slopes. That is surely appreciable. But the problem comes in when such warnings are not followed by concrete action. And by that we mean a taking of measures that will enable these vulnerable people to shift to safer ground. Many of these people are poor and therefore cannot afford to shift homes on their own.
It is here that the authorities, especially the district and local administrations, can come in with help. In other words, besides issuing warnings about impending danger on the hillsides, they can carry out surveys of what groups of people need assistance and how soon such assistance can be provided to them so that they can feel safe.
That said, it should from here on be the responsibility of the authorities to ensure that homes are not built on the slopes of the hills in regions where landslides are a distinct possibility every year. On both sides of the Chittagong-Bandarban road, thatched and mud huts as also semi-concrete homes dot the region. The risk of a major disaster is, therefore, always there. It makes sense, therefore, to suggest that the authorities begin to act from now on. Warnings are in order, of course. The more important issue is to see whether the warnings are being paid attention to.