50,000 illegal settlers in Sitakunda hill slopes
STAFF REPORTER, Ctg
Over 50,000 illegal settlers have built houses and other structures on government land in Jangal Salimpur in Chittagongs Sitakunda upazila in the last decade, thanks to lax monitoring by the administration and their utter indifference towards the enforcement of environmental laws.
Under the banner of Chittagong Mohanagar Chhinnomul Bostibasi Samannoy Parishad, the settlers have built these shanties on government khas land on the hill slopes as well as the foothills.
Though the settlers cut the hills to build their settlement under the banner of the Parishad, the structures are allegedly owned by politically blessed local influential quarters. They allegedly rent these out to low-income peopleespecially, garment workers, daily labourers, and rickshaw-pullers. Many influential people have even installed signboards on the khas land at Jangal Salimpur.
This has, however, led to disastrous consequences. Five members of a family, including three children, were killed in a landslide in Jangal Salimpur on Friday. They had built a tin-shed hut on a risky slope. A part of the hill came crashing on their hut.
Only 38 days before that, 162 people were killed in Rangamati, Bandarban, and Khargachori districts in Chittagong. Over the last 11 years, at least 201 people have been killed in landslides in Chittagong city. On June 11, 127 people were killed across the 11 hills of Chittagong in landslides and wall collapses. This prompted the formation of two committees. Their 36-point list of recommendation to avert a possible loss of lives in landslides includes evacuating people from risky areas and rehabilitating them.
However, most of these recommendations continue to be ignored.
Despite warnings from the government, many poor families are still living on the hill slopes because politically influential people have rented out slums to them.
Zillur Rahman Chowdhury, the deputy commissioner (DC) of Chittagong, told The Independent, No permission was granted for building a settlement at Jangal Salimpur. It is necessary to evict the settlers there.
This is a business, which is leading to deaths. Mostly influential people are involved in this business. All quarters need to raise their voice to stop this business, he added.
We cannot start an eviction drive without any notice, as the structures have been built over a long time. We need help from all quarters to evict the settlers. But before that, they should be rehabilitated, added the DC.
Visiting the landslide area on Friday, the DC said, These hills are not suitable for human habitation. But thousands of people are living there illegally. He said that since there was no obstacle when they started building the shanties, they spread slowly. This needs a permanent solution, said the DC. He added, This place is not fit to be a residential area. Even electricity was not supposed not to reach there, but it somehow did.
Even if the settlers are allowed to live there, there is no guarantee that they will survive. To save them, a decision has to be taken to remove them from the hills. But we cannot do it alone. A decision will be taken at the government and local levels, added Chowdhury.
Parishad secretary Moshiur Rahman said they have 15,000 members. Around 40,000 people belonging to 8,000 families live in the settlement.
The area is divided into 11 samajes (communities). However, local sources claimed that over 50,000 people live in the area.
At the beginning of the monsoon every year, the administration undertakes different programmes to relocate the hill-dwellers. But, despite knowing the dangers, low-income people prefer to live in those hills.
According to the reports provided by the Chittagong Hill Management Committee, 30 hills are in a very dangerous state to live in.
