Take steps to protect hills from more damage in 5 dists: HC

The High Court today instructed the government to take all necessary and appropriate action to safeguard existing hills and hillocks in five districts of Chattogram division from further destruction and razing, and to submit a report documenting their current situations.

The authorities concerned have been asked to display the 2012 directives of HC, which prohibited all types of hill razing in Chattogram, Cox's Bazar, Bandarban, Rangamati, and Khagrachhari and ordered planting trees of domestic species in already cut hills and hillocks and protecting them by erecting walls.

The HC also ordered the authorities to submit a report after complying with the directives in three months.

The authorities have been instructed to provide the "daag" numbers and khatians of the hills in the compliance report and report about efforts taken to stop the hill cutting.

The HC bench of Justice Mahmudul Hoque and Justice Md Mahmud Hassan Talukder delivered the order after hearing a writ petition filed by Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (Bela) on August 23, 2011.

Lawyer Syeda Rizwana Hasan accompanied by lawyer S Hasanul Banna moved the petition on behalf of Bela during its hearing today.

Following the same petition, another HC bench on March 19, 2012 directed the government to stop all kinds of razing of hills in the five districts and immediately take effective steps to protect the hills and hillocks there.

The court also asked the authorities to take appropriate legal action against those involved in cutting hills without securing environmental clearance certificates from the Department of Environment (DoE).

The petition said some people were cuttings hills in the five districts without having environmental clearance and damaging the environment of the areas.