CDA Fined Tk 10.39Cr for Cutting Hllls

The Department of Environment (DoE) on Wednesday slapped a fine of Tk 10.39 crore on Chattogram Development Authority (CDA) for constructing a road stretching from Bayazid Bostami to Fouzdarhat after cutting 15 hills.

Rubina Ferdousi, director of the Monitoring and Enforcement Department of the DoE, imposed the fine for cutting hills and destroying biodiversity as well as causing irreparable loss to the environment, DoE said in a press release.

Hill cutting also destroyed the top soil and binding capacity of soil, the statement said. This leaves the hills more vulnerable to landslides.

In 1999, Ecnec approved the project for constructing a 5.960 kilometers link road stretching from Dhaka Trunk Road to Bayazid Bostami.

The DoE got evidence of hill cutting and served a notice on CDA. The development authority took part in the hearing in response to the notice and affirmed that it was indeed cutting hills.

But despite its admission, the CDA continued to cut hills.

Source: UNB