Inhabitants of illegal settlements developed at foothills in Chattogram face a perpetual threat of landslide, but those establishments continue to exist due to the lack of permanent measures and stern actions by the authorities, said sources.

Owners of the risky hills, mostly government organisations like Bangladesh Railway, are reluctant to take control of the encroached land, allowing the long-standing problem to resurface every rainy season.

The district administration conducts drives and awareness campaigns to prevent accidents caused by landslides during inclement weather, but the authorities responsible for demolishing the illegal risky settlements are not much active in this regard.

A section of dishonest government officials and politically influential people are allegedly making a brisk business by erecting houses on the risky hilly spots owned by the government and individuals, and renting them out to the low-income people.

According to the latest data from the Chattogram district administration, 835 families were living on the risky slopes of 17 hills in 2019.

However, the data placed at the 28th meeting of the Hill Management Committee held at Chattogram Circuit House on 20 June this year revealed that 6,558 families were living on 26 hills in the city, similar to the data presented at the 27th meeting of the committee on 8 August last year.

Of the 26 hills, government organisations own 16 while the remaining 10 are privately owned. Among the government organisations, Bangladesh Railway owns seven hills while National Housing Authority owns two.

The highest number of families – 4,476 – occupy the hills adjacent to the Jhil- 1,2 and 3 in Foy’s Lake area, while 431 families live in Matijharna and Batalli Hill areas, 323 near Jamiaatul Ulum Madrasah in Lalkhan Bazar, and 288 on Bijoy Nagar Hill adjacent to Lake City Residential areas.

Management committee’s recommendations not implemented

Being a hilly region, Chattogram is prone to landslides, especially during the rainy season. The natural calamity claimed the lives of several hundred people in the city and suburbs in the last two decades.

On 13 June 2017, torrential rains triggered a series of massive landslides in the hilly districts, burying many dwellings, when the dwellers were sleeping.

A total of 164 persons were killed in the landslides. Of them, 120 people were killed in Rangamati, 35 in Chattogram, six in Bandarban, two in Cox’s Bazar and one in Khagrachhari.

Prior to that, an even more devastating landslide on 11 June 2007 killed 127 people in a single day, showcasing the callousness of the authorities concerned regarding the issue.

Following the incident, the Hill Management Committee was formed on 16 July 2008. It periodically made a number of recommendations like rehabilitating vulnerable families at safer places, providing them with financial assistance, disconnecting illegal utility lines, filing criminal cases against the occupants and protecting the hills through eviction, afforestation and fencing.

With most of the recommendations remaining unimplemented, no significant progress for a permanent solution to the crisis could be accomplished over the course of 16 years.

While visiting different hills on Sunday, this correspondent found thousands of houses on risky slopes.

As one of the largest commercial hubs in the country, Chattogram attracts a large number of employment seekers. Low-income people struggle to find suitable accommodations in the city centre at a cheaper price. It compels them to opt for living at the illegal settlement, risking their lives, said sources.

Talking to the Daily Sun, rickshaw puller Kabir Mian cited his helplessness as the reason behind living at the risky settlement in the Ambagan area.

“I am unable to pay the higher house rent in the city and simply risk the lives of my five family members to stay in the city centre for maintaining a livelihood,” he remarked.

Stern actions against hill encroachers urged

Railway East Chief Estate Officer Sujan Chowdhury told the Daily Sun that they were unable to carry out the eviction drive after the 27th meeting of the committee held in August last year.

“In addition to our regular duties, carrying out a drive involves some preparations. It sometimes seems tough as we usually remain under a pile of work,” the officer stated.

Sujan called for engaging an independent survey organisation by the Hill Management Committee for listing the residents risking their lives at the hills.

Asked about the allegation of Railway employees’ involvement in erecting the illegal dwellings, Sujan said there are several departments under the Railway and he will take action if anyone from the organisation is involved in the wrongdoing.

After the 28th meeting of the Hill Management Committee, its Convener and Chattogram Divisional Commissioner Tofael Islam asked the authorities of utility service providers to snap illegal connections provided to the illegal settlements immediately and send a progress report by 15 days.

Tofael said they were trying to bring the hill encroachers to justice. He also said their preventive activities will continue throughout the year to discourage people from living at the risky spots.

Asked about rehabilitation for the distressed people, the divisional commissioner said the government has been providing houses with lands to the homeless people under the Ashrayan Project across the country. Dwellers of the risky settlements can avail benefits of the project, he added.

Sacheton Nagorik Committee (Sanac) Chattogram President Advocate Akhtar Kabir Chowdhury said people are interested in living in the illegal houses on the hills as utility services are available there.

“It indicates that some dishonest officials of the utility service providers are associated with the syndicate which is erecting houses on hilly lands illegally,” observed Akhtar.

He criticised the authorities’ inaction toward the land grabbers responsible for expansions of the settlements.

In order to put an end to the long-drawn crisis, the civil society representative laid emphasis on bringing the persons behind providing illegal utility connections and responsible for overseeing the issues under strict accountability and punishment on a regular basis.