The Chattogram District Administration (CDA) in a drive yesterday evicted 34 families illegally living on the risky hill slopes in West Khulshi. The drive was conducted at Modhu Shah Hill after the hill dwellers were notified and an announcement about the eviction was made yesterday.  CDA started the eviction drive on Wednesday to avert possible loss of lives from landslides in the monsoon and so far 350 families were evicted from the hill slopes. In the meantime, the district administration made alternative arrangement for rehabilitating those dwellers.  

Chattogram District Administration has detected 17 hills where 835 low-income families are living at risk. Executive Magistrate and Assistant Commissioner of Land (Kattoli) Towhidul Islam, who led the drive yesterday, said “The drive at Modhu Shah Hill began around 11:30am and continued till 2pm. We have sent the evicted families to eight shelter centres.” The eight temporary shelter centres are Pahartali Girls’ High School, Firoz Shah E-block School at Foy’s Lake, Chattogram Model High School in Polytechnic area, Jalalbad Bazar Shed, Al Heara Islamia Madrasa in Tankir Pahar area, Rofabad Adrasha High School, Lalkhan Bazar Govt Primary School and Syedabad School in Poda Colony area.

Landslides triggered by heavy rains in and around Chittagong city have claimed over 250 lives between 1999 and 2014. The June 2007 landslides in the port city claimed at least 127 lives.