Death toll due to 'mountain landslides' due to heavy rains

Phultala Desk: Death toll due to 'mountain landslides' due to heavy rains. Landslides are increasing at an alarming rate mainly due to excessive rains, indiscriminate tree cutting and hill cutting during the monsoon season. This disaster has now taken on a more horrific form due to changing rainfall patterns due to unplanned settlement and climate change. In the meantime, continuous heavy rains have completely disrupted public life in Cox's Bazar. Vast areas of 33 unions in at least 9 upazilas of the district have been flooded due to landslides, floods and waterlogging. Thousands of people in Ramu, Chakaria, Pekua, Maheshkhali and Teknaf have been waterlogged due to the increase in the water level of the hills and rivers. Meanwhile, 12 people have died in the district in the last two days due to landslides and house collapses. On the other hand, the Teknaf-Saint Martin waterway has been closed for five consecutive days due to adverse weather conditions.

However, the landslide has disrupted public life. District administration officials have been on the ground since morning to safely evacuate people living at the foot of the mountain and deal with possible disasters. Fire Service, Police, Red Crescent and Rober Scout teams are on alert. A total of 42 shelters have been opened in the district to deal with the situation. Out of these, 11 shelters have been pre-designated in Rangamati city.

Deputy Commissioner Nazma Ashrafi said that in addition to all kinds of preparations to deal with any disaster in hostile weather, activities are being carried out in the field to evacuate vulnerable settlements. At the same time, due to continuous rainfall, the district administration and Rangamati Municipality authorities have been miking people living in vulnerable areas to safely evacuate since last Sunday. The administration has identified 28 vulnerable areas in the city.

Residents are living in fear of Ukhia shelter camp landslide: A huge part of the 70-80 feet high steep hill has been cut off in the C-block of Balukhali shelter camp in Ukhia, Cox's Bazar. This cut part of the hill can be seen even from a distance. 45 houses made of tripartite and bamboo have been built on the slopes and foothills of the hill. Two to four Rohingya families live in each house. Due to heavy rains, some parts of the hill have collapsed and soil has entered the houses. Along with this, the floodwater has also entered. The residents of the houses were cleaning the mud that had entered the houses, ignoring the rain. Such a situation was seen when I went to the Balukhali camp on Tuesday afternoon. The residents are in panic after eight people died in multiple landslides in this shelter camp due to heavy rains in one night. They fear that another landslide could occur at any time as the heavy rain continues. However, meteorologist Abdul Hannan said that the heavy rain is due to the low pressure in the Bay of Bengal. The low pressure has moved northwestward and weakened, turning into a clear low pressure. Due to this, the Bay of Bengal has become turbulent. Heavy rains may continue for the next two days. Due to this, there is a risk of landslides in the shelter camp as well as in Cox's Bazar city and the surrounding hills.

Visiting the Balukhali refugee camp, it was seen that the roads of the camp were submerged in water. Rainwater has also entered the nearby shops and low-lying houses. In that situation, the Rohingyas are busy with their daily work. Some are repairing their houses, while others are busy collecting emergency supplies and food. In September-October 2017, more than 7,000 forest lands and hills in Ukhiya were cut down to build 23 refugee camps for 900,000 Rohingya. Of these, more than 60,000 Rohingya live in Camp No. 11 in Balukhali alone. Most of the houses have been built on the slopes and foothills of 50-60 hills across the camp. The soil and trees on the hills have been cut down to build the houses. As a result, landslides occur only during heavy rainfall. More than 60,000 Rohingya live in Camp No. 11 in Balukhali alone. Most of the houses have been built on the slopes and foothills of 50-60 hills across the camp. The soil and trees on the hills have been cut down to build the houses. As a result, landslides occur only during heavy rainfall. More than 200,000 Rohingyas are also living on the slopes of the nearby Jamtali refugee camp (Camp-15). The houses in the low-lying areas of this camp have also been submerged in heavy rain. The same is true of the Kutupalong, Lambashia, and Madhurchhara refugee camps. On Tuesday, ignoring the heavy rain, some Rohingya men from the Balukhali camp were working to remove soil from the mountains near the boundary fence of their houses. And the women were cleaning the mud that had accumulated inside the houses. Kefayat Ullah (45), a resident of one of the houses, said that houses were built on that land by cutting a steep section of a high mountain. When heavy rains start, the soil from the cut section collapses and enters the houses. There is another 30-40 feet of the mountain above the houses. The fear that if that part of the mountain collapses and presses on the houses at any time, there will definitely be a loss of life has made it impossible for the residents to sleep. Rohingya woman Nur Kalima (35) said that the mud from cutting the mountain comes in the flood water. That mud accumulates inside the houses. Even after cleaning, the mud accumulates again, and one cannot sleep at night. The road to walk in the mountain stream becomes slippery, making it impossible to get up and down from the house. One has to go to the market below twice a day to get drinking water. That is also not possible.

Rohingyas who are in a vulnerable position in the mountains of the refugee camp are being evacuated to safe places, said Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC) and Additional Secretary Mohammad Mizanur Rahman. He said that landslides are occurring in various mountains due to heavy rains. Panic and anxiety are increasing after eight Rohingyas, including women and children, died in multiple landslides in one night. Many of the newly arrived Rohingyas are building houses in the mountains. Many are renting out houses in the mountains. This is further increasing the crisis. At least 3,000 people who were already at risk in the mountains have been evacuated to safe places to prevent loss of life. The situation is understood.