Recommendations lie unheeded

Despite repeated recommendations put forward for a permanent resolution to avert casualties caused by mudslides in Chittagong, they have failed to translate into actions.
Mudslides and the casualties they cause have been followed by the usual approach.
Probe committees are formed and they submit their reports with recommendations.
These recommendations, however, have hardly been followed and have remained only on paper.
The Divisional Hill Management Committee (DHMC) has so far held 14 meetings in the last eight years.
However, the committee has confined it to holding meetings, issuing customary warnings and launching eviction drives as monsoon arrives.
Mudslides triggered by heavy rains in and around Chittagong city claimed over 250 lives between 1999 and 2014.
The death toll includes 127 who lost their lives in the catastrophic mudslide that occurred in 2007.
Recently on July 19, three children of a family were killed in a mudslide due to heavy rain in Bayezid area and two people of a family and another person were killed due to wall collapse in Lalkhan Bazar area in the city.
It was this mudslide on June 11, 2007, which prompted the formation of two committees.
These committees identified 28 reasons that led to landslides during monsoon in Chittagong and put forward a 36-point recommendation to avert future loss of lives from landslides.
Evacuating people from the risky areas and measures to rehabilitate them was one of the key measures suggested in the reports of the two committee headed by the then divisional commissioner.
Preparing a national hill management policy and imposing a ban on setting up of brick kilns within 10 kilometres and housing projects within kilometers of the hills also featured in the list of recommendations.
The committees also suggested forming a vigilance team to check new settlements in risky areas, immediate construction of boundary walls at risky hills, massive forestation and tougher punishment for the hill cutters.
Sadly, most of these recommendations remain ignored till date.
The committee also identified 28 reasons behind mudslide casualties, including heavy downpour, excessive sand in the hills, depleting trees on the hills, risky settlements at the foot of hills, absence of a mechanism for flashing out flood water and absence of afforestation in the hills.    
Asked for his comment, M Abdur Rahman Rana, an environment and climate researcher, told The Independent, “Probe committees are formed by the authorities concerned after every landslide-related casualty.
The probe committees indeed submit their reports. However, the authorities concerned sink into oblivion following the rainy season.”
“The mudflow related casualty cannot be averted unless and until the water-logging problem of the port city is addressed on a permanent basis. The heavy downpour is erroneously considered to be the cause behind mudflow. However, I think that the tidal water coupled with rainwater creates water congestion in the city and the transitory water-logging is primarily responsible for mudflow,” Rana said.   
“After analysing the previous mudslides in the city, we may come up with the conclusion that the mudflow incidents take place whenever the stagnant rainwater gets mixed with tidal water. We have seen from our experience that mudflow did not happen even in case of 300 mm to 500 mm rainfall. Again mudslides could be seen in case of 170 mm rainfall,” added the researcher.    
According to Muhammad Rashidul Hasan, assistant professor of the Department of Urban and Regional Planning at CUET, hills in these areas are composed of crumbling soil and become vulnerable after heavy rainfall if the surface is not covered with vegetation.
“The Chittagong City Corporation authorities are constructing a building in Batali Hill area where 138 families will be rehabilitated. We will hold a meeting with the newly-elected mayor in this regard,” said Mesbah Uddin, deputy commissioner of Chittagong. 

 

Recommendations lie unheeded

Despite repeated recommendations put forward for a permanent resolution to avert casualties caused by mudslides in Chittagong, they have failed to translate into actions. Mudslides and the casualties they cause have been followed by the usual approach. Probe committees are formed and they submit their reports with recommendations. These recommendations, however, have hardly been followed and have remained only on paper. The Divisional Hill Management Committee (DHMC) has so far held 14 meetings in the last eight years. However, the committee has confined it to holding meetings, issuing customary warnings and launching eviction drives as monsoon arrives. Mudslides triggered by heavy rains in and around Chittagong city claimed over 250 lives between 1999 and 2014. The death toll includes 127 who lost their lives in the catastrophic mudslide that occurred in 2007. Recently on July 19, three children of a family were killed in a mudslide due to heavy rain in Bayezid area and two people of a family and another person were killed due to wall collapse in Lalkhan Bazar area in the city. It was this mudslide on June 11, 2007, which prompted the formation of two committees. These committees identified 28 reasons that led to landslides during monsoon in Chittagong and put forward a 36-point recommendation to avert future loss of lives from landslides. Evacuating people from the risky areas and measures to rehabilitate them was one of the key measures suggested in the reports of the two committee headed by the then divisional commissioner. Preparing a national hill management policy and imposing a ban on setting up of brick kilns within 10 kilometres and housing projects within kilometers of the hills also featured in the list of recommendations. The committees also suggested forming a vigilance team to check new settlements in risky areas, immediate construction of boundary walls at risky hills, massive forestation and tougher punishment for the hill cutters. Sadly, most of these recommendations remain ignored till date. The committee also identified 28 reasons behind mudslide casualties, including heavy downpour, excessive sand in the hills, depleting trees on the hills, risky settlements at the foot of hills, absence of a mechanism for flashing out flood water and absence of afforestation in the hills. Asked for his comment, M Abdur Rahman Rana, an environment and climate researcher, told The Independent, Probe committees are formed by the authorities concerned after every landslide-related casualty. The probe committees indeed submit their reports. However, the authorities concerned sink into oblivion following the rainy season. The mudflow related casualty cannot be averted unless and until the water-logging problem of the port city is addressed on a permanent basis. The heavy downpour is erroneously considered to be the cause behind mudflow. However, I think that the tidal water coupled with rainwater creates water congestion in the city and the transitory water-logging is primarily responsible for mudflow, Rana said. After analysing the previous mudslides in the city, we may come up with the conclusion that the mudflow incidents take place whenever the stagnant rainwater gets mixed with tidal water. We have seen from our experience that mudflow did not happen even in case of 300 mm to 500 mm rainfall. Again mudslides could be seen in case of 170 mm rainfall, added the researcher. According to Muhammad Rashidul Hasan, assistant professor of the Department of Urban and Regional Planning at CUET, hills in these areas are composed of crumbling soil and become vulnerable after heavy rainfall if the surface is not covered with vegetation. The Chittagong City Corporation authorities are constructing a building in Batali Hill area where 138 families will be rehabilitated. We will hold a meeting with the newly-elected mayor in this regard, said Mesbah Uddin, deputy commissioner of Chittagong.