Hill cutting rampant again in Khagrachhari

Defying environmental laws, an influential person continues cutting a hill at Washu in Matiranga in Khagrachhari district to construct a road to his brickfield.Photo: STAR

Hill cutting in eight upazilas in Khagrachhari hill district continues in the name of development work, making houses and business centres ignoring existing environmental laws and defying ban by Department of Environment (DoE).
After remaining stopped for the first several months of last year due to the strict restriction imposed by district administration and DoE, hill cutting has resumed recently, much to the worry of environmentalists and conscious citizens.
The unscrupulous act adds to the threat of devastating hill slides for people who built their houses, business centres and other structures cutting the natural hills and without any environment-friendly plan, sources said.
Divisional Forest Office and District Agriculture Extension Office sources said, despite a government ban, illegal hill cutting started again in different parts of Khagrachhari district posing serious threat to lives, natural environment and biodiversity in the area.
Taking illegal help from government officials, groups of influential people including a section of dishonest traders are involved in illegal hill cutting, sources said.
Local environment activists and journalists filed several general diaries with different police stations in Khagrachhari hill district in regard to hill cutting but no major initiative by the administration is yet to be observed to save the depleting hills.
Abu Daud Muhammad, network member of Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA), told The Daily Star correspondent that they have recently visited Wasu and Battali areas of Matiranga upazila where hill plunderers have continued environment destructive activities.
A few hills have been flattened to make a road to go a brickfield, he said.
“If the administration fails to take any legal action against hill plunderers we will go for another movement to save our hills,” he said.
Hill cutting in Khagrachhari creates bad impact on the environment, said Pradeep Chowdhury, convener of local environmental organization Paribesh Surokkha Andolon.
Filling up of rivers and canals and consequent flash flood, damage to property and lives are the results of hill cutting, he said.
Asif Ahammed, vice president of local Paribesh Andolon Forum, said Chenghi, Mainee and Feni rivers in the district have become filthy due to hill cutting and soil erosion. He sought cooperation for movement against plunders.
Unscrupulous traders supply hilly soil to fill up canals and low lands for constructing houses and markets in the district, said Mohammad Khalilur Rahman, secretary of Paribesh Andolon Forum.
“Many hills are facing danger. Sudden accident due to landslide may cause harm to people and properties any time. An integrated approach is necessary to save environment of the natural hilly areas,” Additional Deputy Commissioner (Revenue) Masud Ahmed said.
When contacted, Deputy Commissioner AKM Khairul Alam said, “I have already taken initiatives to save the hills. I ordered Matiranga upazila nirbahi officer to take action against hill cutting.”