Destruction in the name of development in CHT

CHT Desk

In June, 2017 landslides in the Chittagong Hill Tracts claimed the lives of more than 150 people, with indiscriminate hill-cutting largely to blame for the disaster.

And despite a government ban on cutting hills, the illegal practice has gone on in the name of constructing roads, erecting houses, academic building of different institutions, illegal brick kilns and establishing businesses.

The Bangladesh Environment Preservation Act 1995, as amended in 2000, prohibits the cutting of hills without the approval of concerned authorities. The penalty for cutting hills without approval is up to two years imprisonment, a fine of Tk 2 lakhs or both for a first offence. For a subsequent offence the penalty is up to ten years imprisonment, a fine of Tk 10 lakhs or both.

 “The problem is,” observes Zumlian Amlai, chairperson of the Bandarban chapter of the Pabatya Chattagram Forest and Land Rights Protection environmental organisation, “the Department of Environment and law enforcement agencies are not sincere in preventing the menace of hill-cutting. Over the years many hills in Bandarban have been destroyed by this practice. If it is not stopped the remaining hills will surely vanish soon.”

Hill-cutting not only exacerbates the risk of landslides that threaten human life and property, it also results in environmental degradation that undermines the region’s biodiversity.

Dilip Kumar Banik, former deputy commissioner of Bandarban hill district said a section of politicians and opportunist businessmen had joined hands to destroy the hills in different parts of the district.

Bandarban district administration office sources said though a committee was formed by district administration to survey how many people in the district were vulnerable to landslide, it is not functional.

Due to unplanned hill cutting, at least 60,000 people living there might face landslides in the rainy season, local sources said.

Allegations are rife that local influential quarters in association with government officials are involved in the hill cutting.

Zumlian said “The biodiversity of the district was facing a threat as hills had been being destroyed indiscriminately adding around 30 percent of Bandarban’s hill had been totally destroyed.”

A concerted approach is needed to save the hills from being destroyed, he added.