The government will relocate people living at the foot of hills and in other landslide-prone areas to safer locations and provide them with housing to prevent recurring fatalities caused by hill collapses, Disaster Management and Relief Minister Asadul Habib Dulu said on Thursday.
He also urged lawmakers from the affected constituencies to support the government's relocation initiative.
The minister came up with the disclosure while delivering a statement under Rule 300 on the 22nd sitting of the second and first budget session of the 13th National Parliament, chaired by Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed Bir Bikram.
In his statement, Dulu said recent landslides triggered by heavy rains had claimed 30 lives across the country's hilly districts, five in Chittagong, 19 in Cox's Bazar, one in Rangamati and five in Bandarban.
To respond to the emergency, the government has opened a large number of shelters in the affected districts, including 41 in Chittagong, 640 in Cox's Bazar, 21 in Rangamati, 135 in Khagrachhari and 220 in Bandarban. Thousands of people have already taken refuge in these shelters, where safe drinking water, sanitation facilities, children's food and three meals a day are being provided, he said.
Authorities are also continuing public announcements through loudspeakers, urging residents in vulnerable areas
The minister said the government had initially allocated Tk 10 lakh in GR cash and 200 metric tonnes of rice to each affected district on July 7. In view of the evolving situation, additional allocations have been approved: Tk 25 lakh for Chittagong, Tk 20 lakh for Cox's Bazar, and Tk 10 lakh each for Rangamati, Khagrachhari and Bandarban.
Additional food assistance includes 300 metric tonnes of rice for Chittagong, 250 metric tonnes for Cox's Bazar, and 200 metric tonnes each for Rangamati, Khagrachhari and Bandarban.
In addition, the prime minister’s relief fund has allocated Tk 20 lakh to each affected district. Following the prime minister's directives, the ministry's secretary is overseeing relief operations on the ground, while district and upazila administrations remain on round-the-clock alert to monitor the situation and coordinate relief efforts.
