Chittagong District Administration on Sunday started eviction of the residents of 150 unauthorised makeshift houses from the hillocks of nine risky hills in the city due to three-day heavy shower.
During the drive, the eviction team also slashed the supply of electricity and water to the houses in the heavy rain period to avert possible loss of lives from the landslides of Battli hills, Akbarshah hills, Tankirpar, Bheramerket and Motizorna area.
Three assistant commissioners (land) of three separate circles led the eviction drive in the slopes of nine different risky hills in the city around 10am. Four shelter centres were opened in different areas of the city in this regard.
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The district administration along with the Department of Environment (DoE), Wasa representatives, police personnel, representatives of Chittagong City Corporation, Chittagong Development Authority, Bangladesh Railway, Fire Service and Civil Defence, electricity department and other concerned departments were present during the eviction period, Touhidul Islam, executive magistrate of Chittagong district administration said.
A total of 434 members of 150 families on nine hills including Akbarshah, Jalalabad, Motijorna and Khulshi were evicted during the drive.
Executive magistrate of the district administration told journalists that they asked people to leave the area using loudspeaker on Saturday.
The district administration came up with the move in order to avert possible loss of lives from landslides in the monsoon as the soil on the hills become softer and may trigger a landslide, posing threat to the lives of the poor people dwelling on those risky hill pockets during the rainy season.
Touhidul Islam, after the eviction drive, told journalists that despite several notices served from the district administration, the families were still living in the hills in a very dangerous state.
The authorities would gradually evict all families living in different risky hills in the city, he added.
Meanwhile, at least four people of two families were killed and seven others injured in separate landslides during the heavy rain in city’s Akborshah area early Saturday.
