Thousands of families are living under the threat of landslides on the port city’s vulnerable hills as continuous rain raises fears of another monsoon tragedy.
Just yesterday, nine people were killed in separate landslides in Cox’s Bazar.
According to the Chattogram Hill Management Committee, at least 6,558 families continue to live on 26 identified hills across the city despite years of deadly landslides, repeated eviction drives, court directives, and promises of permanent rehabilitation.
This correspondent visited Roufabad Mia Hill, Chowdhury Nagar Hill, and Sholoshahar Railway Hill and found residents aware of the danger but unwilling to leave as they cannot afford safer housing.
At Roufabad Mia Hill, where around 100-120 families live, 29-year-old garment worker Kohinur Akter repeatedly looked over her shoulder at the rain-soaked slope behind her home as muddy water streamed downhill.
“Whenever the rain continues for hours, I become anxious. I keep checking the slope behind the house instead of going to sleep.”
At Chowdhury Nagar Hill, CNG-run auto-rickshaw driver Mohammed Habib said, “Of course we want to move somewhere safer. But the rent is beyond what we can afford. Until there’s an affordable alternative, we have no choice but to stay here and live with the risk.”
The Bangladesh Meteorological Department recorded 178.6mm of rainfall in Chattogram in the 24 hours until 3:00pm yesterday.
Bashir Ahmed, a forecasting officer at the BMD’s Chattogram office, said more rain is expected in the coming days.
The BMD also warned that heavy to very heavy rainfall could cause temporary waterlogging in parts of the city and trigger landslides in hilly areas.
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Amid fears of landslides triggered by continuous heavy rain, district administration officials and volunteers were using loudspeakers to alert residents of the Motijharna area near Tiger Pass in Chattogram yesterday. Those living at the foot of vulnerable hills are being instructed to move to safer shelters.
PHOTO: RAJIB RAIHAN
As the rain continued, the Chattogram district administration stepped up preparedness measures. The 26 vulnerable hills have been divided into five zones, with executive magistrates assigned to oversee each zone.
Authorities have also been making announcements through loudspeakers, urging residents to move to eight designated cyclone shelters, while around 150 volunteers have been deployed to assist with evacuation.
Chattogram Deputy Commissioner Zahidul Islam Miah said the administration has intensified preparations as continuous rainfall increased the risk of landslides.
Over the years, landslides in Chattogram have repeatedly claimed lives.
According to the Bangladesh Landslide Database (BDLS-DAT), the district recorded 279 landslide deaths between 2000 and 2018. The deadliest incident occurred in June 2007, when days of torrential rain triggered landslides that killed 128 people.
A recent study estimated that more than 500,000 people live on hillsides or at the foot of hills in Chattogram, exposing a much larger population to landslide hazards.
The study, titled “Living with a Catastrophe at the Cost of Life: Illegal and Risky Settlement on the Hill Slope in Chattogram City”, identified hill cutting, deforestation, unplanned settlements, and poor drainage, combined with prolonged rainfall, as the main causes of landslides.
It identified Batali Hill, Motijharna, Akbarshah, Kusumbagh, Bayezid Bostami, Roufabad, Foy’s Lake, and Khulshi as the city’s most landslide-prone areas.
Experts said informal settlements have expanded on Chattogram’s hills because of their proximity to workplaces, low rents, and the availability of land. They added that most residents are low-income migrants working as rickshaw pullers, garment workers, day labourers, domestic workers, and small traders who cannot afford housing elsewhere.
Alak Paul, professor of geography and environmental studies at the University of Chittagong, said Bangladesh’s hills are geologically more fragile than those in many neighbouring countries.
“Our hills are made up of soft, unconsolidated soil. Even minor hill cutting can destabilise the slopes, while prolonged rainfall often acts as the trigger for landslides.”
He added that many of Chattogram’s hills have already been levelled, while those that remain have largely lost their vegetation, making them even more vulnerable.
“If we want to save the remaining hills, settlements must be relocated and the hills restored through afforestation. Otherwise, we will continue to lose not only the hills but also Chattogram’s natural landscape and ecological balance.”
Meanwhile, illegal hill cutting has continued unabated despite repeated enforcement drives.
According to the Department of Environment’s Chattogram Metropolitan Office, it carried out 50 drives in the first six months of this year to stop hill cutting, indicating that the practice remains widespread.
Urban planner Delwar Majumder, former chairman of the Chattogram Centre of the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh, said unplanned settlements, hill cutting, and poor drainage continue to worsen the situation despite years of discussions following major landslide disasters.
“Unless affordable housing and permanent rehabilitation programmes are introduced, evacuation efforts during every monsoon will remain a temporary solution.”
Asked why thousands of families continue to live on the hills despite years of eviction drives, the deputy commissioner acknowledged that enforcement alone cannot solve the problem.
“We carry out eviction drives and remove them from the hills, but many return because they can find accommodation there at very low rents. Without a permanent rehabilitation programme, it is difficult to keep them away.”
