Stop hill cutting

The High Court yesterday directed the government to take immediate effective steps to stop unauthorised hill cutting in Chittagong, Cox's Bazar, Chittagong Hill Tracts, Rangamati, Khagrachhari and Bandarban areas.
The court order spelled out that no hill in these areas can be cut without environmental impact assessment (EIA) approved by the directorate of environment.
In response to a writ petition, the HC ordered the government to take steps to rehabilitate poor people living at the foothills in these areas to other places within three months.
It also issued a rule upon the government to explain within three weeks why the reported cutting of hills should not be declared illegal.
The HC bench of Justice AHM Shamsuddin Chowdhury Manik and Justice Gobinda Chandra Tagore came up with the order and rule following a writ petition filed by Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (Bela).
The organisation filed the petition as a public interest litigation on August 21 following reports published in different newspapers stating that a number of hills are being cut without EIA in Chittagong, Cox's Bazar, Chittagong Hill Tracts, Rangamati, Khagrachhari and Bandarban areas.
The petitioner sought an HC directive on the authorities to stop cutting of the hills and rehabilitation of poor people living at the foothills.
Advocate Iqbal Kabir Lytton appeared for Bela, while Deputy Attorney General ABM Altaf Hossain stood for the government.