Illegal hill cutting in Dohazari is raising alarm over landslides, environmental damage and failing infrastructure as residents urge authorities to act before the monsoon season begins across Chandanaish upazila area.
Rampant illegal hill cutting in Dohazari under Chandanaish upazila has raised serious concerns over environmental degradation, public health risks and damage to critical infrastructure, despite repeated claims of zero tolerance by the authorities.
Local residents and environmentalists warned that unless immediate and sustained enforcement is ensured, the continued destruction of hills in the area could lead to landslides, loss of biodiversity and serious human and environmental risks during the monsoon season.
In the Jamijuri Hafchharikul hilly area of Dohazari Municipality, land grabbers have openly flattened a large portion of a hill covering nearly two acres. Locals allege that an influential group has been cutting the hill day and night, extracting soil and supplying it to several brick kilns, while also using it to fill agricultural land and homesteads after illegally changing land classifications.
Environmentalists warn that continued hill cutting is destroying biodiversity and destabilising the terrain, significantly increasing the risk of landslides during the monsoon season. “If this continues, a major environmental disaster is inevitable,” said a local environmental activist who requested anonymity. “The hills act as natural barriers against floods and erosion, and once they are gone, the damage cannot be reversed easily.”
The illegal transportation of hill soil has also taken a heavy toll on infrastructure. The Hafchharikul RCC road, built at a cost of Tk 10 million and the first such road under Dohazari Municipality, has deteriorated rapidly due to the constant movement of heavy dump trucks. Several sections of the road have subsided, causing daily suffering for residents. “This road was built with public money, and now it is being destroyed within a short time,” said a local resident. “We face difficulties every day, especially during rain.”
Despite repeated announcements of zero tolerance against hill cutting, residents claim the practice continues unabated across the hilly areas of Chandanaish. “Hills are being cut openly, day and night, right under the noses of the authorities,” another resident said. “Dozens of soil-laden dump trucks move daily, but no effective action is taken.”
A visit to the site showed that Jamijuri Hafchharikul, once a hill-surrounded village, has undergone drastic changes. At the Botgachhtola area, most of a hill has already been cut and levelled, leaving unstable slopes that locals fear could collapse during heavy rainfall.
Md Ashraf Uddin, research officer of the Department of Environment in Chattogram, said the department is taking the issue seriously. “We have already conducted an investigation after receiving reports from Dohazari. The investigation report is being prepared and will be submitted to higher authorities,” he said. “If new incidents are reported, mobile court drives will be conducted and legal action will be taken.”
Chandanaish Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md Rajib Hossain said he has been informed about the illegal hill cutting in Jamijuri Hafchharikul. “The assistant commissioner (land) has been instructed to take necessary measures,” he said. “An on-site drive will be conducted very soon, and strict legal action will be taken against those involved.”
