CHATTOGRAM: Incessant rains that continued for last two days have triggered fear of landslides in Chattogram.
Sources said with heavy rainfall forecast in Chattogram division, the Met Office has warned about fresh landslides in hilly areas.
"The district administration has already taken step to shift the dwellers from hillslopes and hillsides. The administration is also miking in this regard from this morning," said Additional Deputy Commissioner of Chattogram S M Jakaria.
Meteorologists at Patenga Met Office said heavy rains pose a risk of landslides in hilly areas of Chattogram division.
According to the Met Office, heavy to very heavy rainfall (44mm to 88mm) is likely to occur in Chattogram in next 24 hours.
Sources said the people who live on the hillslopes are passing their days amid fear due to a probability of landslides during this rainy season. The risk of mudslides is increasing as torrential rains has continued for the second consecutive day.
According to them, rampant hill cutting in the port city is the main cause of landslides here.
Some 200 hills in and around the port city have already been levelled fully or partially posing threat to the environment.
More than 50 thousand people are now living on hillslopes in different parts of Chattogram.
Despite the government's measures, they are yet to leave their houses situated on the hills as they have no other shelters in the port city.
After the landslides, many dwellers left their houses but later all of them returned to the hillsides including Lalkhan Bazar, Baizid Bostami, Motijhorna, Khulshi, Panchlaish, Sholoshahar, Foy's Lake, Oxygen Intersection and Polytechnic hilly areas.
Torrential rain, however, disrupted normal life in Chattogram.
Most of low-lying areas in the port city were inundated due to torrential rains.
The road communication in rural areas was also disrupted due to inundation of Chattogram- Cox's Bazar, Chattogram-Rangamati and Khagrachhari roads.
A total of 33.6mm rainfall was recorded here in the last 24 hours ending at 9 am today.
However, the operational activities at the prime seaport of the country was quite normal, said sources in Chittagong Port Authority (CPA).
The meteorological department hoisted signal number 3 for Chittagong port and Cox's Bazar today.
Sheikh Farid Ahamed, an official at meteorological department, said rain might continue for next two days with gusty wind.
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