To avert landslide related casualty, and damage amid the heavy downpour, Chittagong district administration has opened 10 shelters, where people living in vulnerable foothills can take refuge.
Chittagong Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC), Kamal Hossain, said they were asking the people living at locations with risk of landslides to move to safer places as a precaution.
"We have also been conducting eviction drives at the hills," said the ADC.
On July 7, Chittagong district administration evicted people who are at risk of landslide, from Modhu Shah hills near Jalalabad Housing Society of Chittagong city.
A total of 34 families were evicted during the drive. Besides, the utility connections like power, gas, and water have been severed so that the occupants would not return to their dwellings in the hills.
Representatives from Karnaphuli Gas Distribution Company Ltd (KGDCL), Chittagong Wasa, Power Development Board, Department of Environment, and Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP) took part in the eviction drive.
On July 3, Chittagong district administration evicted 50 families from the hills near Akbar Shah area of the city.
According to the Chittagong district administration, there are 28 hills in the district which are vulnerable to landslides.
The district administration has so far listed 835 families who are living on the 17 most vulnerable hills.
The hills are owned by different government, autonomous, private organisations, and individuals including Bangladesh Railway, Public Works Department, Chittagong Wasa, and Chittagong City Corporation.
Medical teams formed, control room inaugurated
Chittagong Civil Surgeon Office has formed medical teams, and inaugurated a control room to combat possible landslide-related casualty caused by heavy rainfall.
Dr Azizur Rahman Siddique of Chittagong Civil Surgeon’s office told Dhaka Tribune, they have formed 14 medical teams in 14 upazilas of Chittagong.
"The medical teams will provide services round the clock. Additional workforce has been kept in standby at Chittagong Civil Surgeon office, to face any emergency," said the civil surgeon.
Heavy rainfall may trigger landslides in Chittagong
Heavy rainfall may trigger landslides in Chittagong division, Bangladesh Meteorological Department said in a forecast.
The Met office bulletin issued on Saturday said, heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely to occur at some places in Barisal, and Chittagong divisions.
Besides, light to moderate rain or thunder showers accompanied by temporary gusty wind is likely to occur at most places over Dhaka, Khulna, Sylhet divisions, and at many places over Rangpur, Rajshahi, and Mymensingh divisions with moderately heavy to heavy falls at places in the southern part of the country.
Landslides may occur at places in the hilly regions of Chittagong division due to the rainfall, the bulletin added.
Port city inundated by heavy rainfall
The low-lying parts of the port city were submerged following heavy rainfall causing difficulties for the city dwellers.
The port city has been experiencing heavy precipitation accompanied by gusty or squally wind since Saturday.
Pradip Kanti Roy, duty assistant officer of Chittagong Patenga Met office said, 78.4 mm rainfall was recorded in the last 24-hours till 9am on Monday.
The Met office warned that the torrential rain might also trigger landslides in some parts of the city.
Many low-lying areas of the city including No 2 Gate, Agrabad, Prabartak circle, Chawkbazar, Muradpur, Shulakbahar, Bahaddarhat, Pahartali, Kalamia Bazar, Kalurghat, Chandgaon, and Bakalia went under water.
The office-goers, students, commuters, and garment workers faced immense suffering due to the incessant downpour.
The water entered many low-lying residential houses, and business firms leaving the people marooned.
Mechanised vehicles stopped moving in areas under water, while many of those were seen stuck in waters with their engines drowned in knee-deep water.
Unlike other cities in the country, Chittagong is gifted with a natural drainage system, having a long network of canals, to drain out the storm water to the rivers and the Bay of Bengal.
However, nearly a third of the city goes underwater every monsoon when its southern part gets inundated during high tides even without any rainfall.
City planners blame unplanned urbanization, illegal refilling, and encroachment of canals, and drains for obstructing the free flow of water.
All sorts of solid wastes worsen the situation, especially in the rainy season, said the planners.
Moreover, due to indiscriminate hill depletion, soil is washed down with rainwater, which fills the drains, and nearby water bodies, causing water stagnation.