Uncontrolled Cutting of Hills in Srimangal, Bangladesh is Destroying the Natural Environment
Adnan Mahfuz
The cutting of hills in Srimangal is not being stopped. The Influential people are cutting down hills and constructing settlements and commercial establishments in Upazila.
In addition to destroying the natural environment, the families living at the hill’s foot are at risk of landslides. About a hundred families living in the Upazila Radhanagar, Mohajirabad, and Bishmoni are at risk.
It was seen in the Begunbari area of Radhanagar that a local named Abu Taher was cutting open hills with a clay laborer. Workers are cutting down the hill soil with a spade and creating agricultural land below.
As a chef at the BTRI Guest House, Abu Taher said, “We have to cut down the hills to create a pineapple garden.” The same local influential people have cut downhills in Radhanagar Mohajira Bad and Bishmoni areas and built houses, hotels, motels, resorts, and even mosques.
Besides, the sale of land by cutting the hills is also going on. Environmentalists have questioned the administration’s role as they have not taken any significant action against deforestation, even though this is destroying the environment.
As a result of uncontrolled cutting of hills, cracks have also appeared in many places. And in the upper part of these risky settlements, the hill cutting is continuously going on. There is a risk of significant accidents and loss of life due to landslides at any time.
After a few days, the locals complained that the mobile court fined them, but the hill cutting started again. Salauddin Ahmed, chairman of the Society for the Protection and Development of Mountains, an environmental organization in the Sylhet division, said, The government has punished cutting downhills.
But since that law has not been strictly enforced, the mountaineers are cutting down the hills as they wish. Srimangal Upazila Nirbahi Officer Nazrul Islam said, “Cutting down hills is a punishable crime.”
We have already fined many people in Srimangal for cutting downhills. There is no way the hills can be cut. We’re keeping an eye on it. “
