Shawdesh Desk:

Fearing landslides amid heavy rains that continued for the third consecutive day on Sunday in Chattogram, the local administration evacuated people who were living in different hill pockets of Chattogram city risking their lives.

The incessant downpour has multiplied the sufferings of the citizens of Chattogram.

The torrential rains and tidal surges flooded the ground floor of the mother and child hospital in the port city.

Water started to enter the hospital ground floor on Saturday evening, submerging the ground floor under knee-deep water within minutes.

Hospital director (administration) Md Nurul Haque said that they had closed the child care centre, general ward, outpatient services and the administrative office, all on the ground floor, and shifted the floor’s patients to upper floors of the hospital.

Meanwhile, huge tailbacks on roads leading to the port city, at the Barik Building intersection, GEC intersection, in Steel Mill area intensified the sufferings of the officegoers.

The local administration evacuated 34 families from the Modhu Shah hill and the hill adjacent to Polytechnic Institute Chattogram on Sunday morning and cleared risky houses of the residents in fear of landslides.

The evacuation drive started at around 10:30am.

Earlier, volunteers were seen alerting people using loudspeakers in Lalkhan Bazar and Motijharna areas to avert possible casualties.

Additional deputy commissioner (revenue) Md Delwar Hossain said that nobody would be allowed to stay on the risky hills.

They will have to move to designated safe shelters or to their relatives’ houses in safer areas, he said.

The ward councillors, hill owners and government agencies concerned have been instructed to prevent people’s stay on the hills at night, Delwar said.

People started thronging the district administration shelters since Saturday morning. Nearly 700 people went to the shelters.

According to the Deputy Commissioner’s office, Pahartoli High School in Akbar Shah area, Firoz Shah-e-block School in Foy’s Lake area, Chattogram Model High School in Polytechnic College area, Al-Hera Islamic Madrassa in Tankipara area, Roufbad Ideal High School in Miarpara area, Lalkhan Bazar Government Primary School in Lalkhan Bazar area and Sayabad School in Pora colony area were kept ready as shelters.

Assistant commissioner (land) Towhidul Islam is supervising the shelters.

On the other hand, six assistant commissioners (land) from six administrative circles and district relief and rehabilitation officials were deployed to run the shelters.

Adequate relief items like dry food and drinking water were stored in the shelters, said officials.

The district administration Chattogram distributed relief goods among 255 families.

Each relief package consisted of five kgs of rice, one kg of pulse, one kg of sugar, one kg of puffed rice, one match box and one packet of candles.

On Sunday, Bakalia circle assistant commissioner (land) Sabrina Afrin distributed relief materials among 41 families who took shelter at Lalkhan Bazar Primary School.

Additional deputy commissioner (general) Md kamal Hossain distributed relief items among the 67 families on Saturday night at Motijhorna and Roufabad.

Kattali circle assistant commissioner (land) Md Touhidul Islam distributed relief goods among 147 families.

In a bulletin, heavy to very heavy rainfall was forecast for parts of Chattogram and Barishal divisions during the 24 hours from 10:00am on Sunday.

The Met Office said that rainfall was likely to occur due to active monsoon over Bangladesh. Torrential rains could trigger landslides in the hilly region of Chattogram, it added.

Some 835 families were living on 17 very risky hills in Chattogram city risking their lives, according to a study carried out by Chattogram local administration.

The administration has identified a total of 28 risky hills in the city. Of them, the 17 very risky hills are owned by different government and non-government organisations, said the study.

Meanwhile, the Patenga Met Office had forecast a cloudy weather and the Chattogram port has been asked to hoist local cautionary signal number 3.