The Department of Environment (DoE) fined two individuals a total of Tk50.6 lakh for razing hills in Arefin Nagar and Foy’s Lake areas in Chittagong city.
Mohammad Nurullah Noori, DoE Director (Chittagong Metro) slapped the fine on the errant individuals following a hearing at his office on Tuesday.
DoE Deputy Director Miya Mahmudul Hoque said that an individual identified as Md Tayyab was fined with Tk32.60 lakh for levelling 32,600 cubic feet hills at Arefin Nagar area under Bayezid police station in the city.
Meanwhile, another individual identified as Ali Shaker was fined with Tk18 lakh for levelling 18,000 cubic feet hills at Foy’s Lake area under Akbarshah police station in the city.
As per the Environment Conservation (Amendment) Act 2010, hill cutting is a cognizable offence and no government, semi-government, or autonomous organization is allowed to cut or raze hills without prior permission from the authorities concerned.
Under the terms of Building Construction Rules 1996, clearance certificate must be obtained from Department of Environment for razing or cutting any hill.
According to urban planners, hills are mainly razed for building construction, developing residential areas and road networks.
The hills of the country are basically composed of unconsolidated sedimentary rocks such as sandstone, siltstone, shale and conglomerate.
The hills of the port city were formed in the early Cenozoic Era.
