Hill cutting in Jaintapur takes a worrying turn

Unabated hill cutting is posing a serious threat to the environment in Haripur of Jaintapur upazila, an area rich in mineral resources, reports UNB.

Hills and hillocks are being levelled in the pretext of making space for constructing buildings and the red soil is being sold for filling up rivers, ponds and lowlands in the area.

Locals said that some influential people are involved in the process. They expressed anger and frustration as the local administration, forest department and police turned a blind eye to the matter.

Many are cutting hills in the area at night.

Akkas, a local Awami League leader, said hills are being razed to fill up low-lying land in the area.

“I’m currently cutting down the hillocks of freedom fighter Manik Mia and Rahim. I’m looking for another hillock,” he said, asking the the correspondent not to write about the matter.

Section 6 (Kha) of the Bangladesh Environment Conservation Act 1995 prohibits cutting and/or razing hill and hillocks. They can be cut or razed in national interest with the permission of the Department of Environment.

The maximum penalty for illegal hill cutting is 10 years’ imprisonment and a fine of Tk 1 million.

Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA) moved to the High Court in 2011 to stop hill cutting in six upazilas of Sylhet. After prolonged hearings, the court on 1 March 2012 declared the cutting of hills and hillocks illegal.

Abdul Hye Al Hadi, a local environmental activist, said a large number of hills and hillocks in Sylhet’s northeast were destroyed during the development of the Sylhet-Tamabil Highway in 1996.

“The ecological balance will be at stake if the existing hillocks are cut down. The area will be prone to landslides after incessant rainfall or earthquakes,” he explained.

Shah Shaheda of BELA said people who are cutting down hills defying the High Court’s order should face legal action.

Nahida Parvin, Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) of Jaintapur, declined to comment on hill cutting, saying that she had joined the upazila office recently.