landslides due to continuous heavy rain have damaged road in 12-Mile-Y Junction and Dalian Para areas under Ramu Upazila of Bandarban on Monday. The vehicular movement remained halted in the areas due to the landslide.
Locals said that the torrential rain of last two days led the landslide in the area. As the mud fell on the road so the vehicular movement was halted in the area.
Bandarban Fire Service and Civil Defense Assisrtant Director Purno Chandra Mutsuddi said the landslide occurred in Y Junction- 12-Mile area and trees and a chunk of hill fell on Bandarban-Ruma road. The vehicular movement was halted due to the landslide. They managed to move the trees from the road but could not remove the soil from the road. 26 ECB Construction Unit of Army was working to remove the soil from the road.
On the other hand, the electricity connection has been interrupted in Ruma Upazila since Sunday night due to heavy rain, Upazila Administration said.
Executive Engineer of Bandarban Power Supply Division, Syed Amir Hossain Masum, said five poles of electricity have been tilted in the area due to landslide and stormy weather. It is not possible to work unless the rain stops. The electricity supply work will be normal after repairing the poles when the rain will be stopped.
Ruma Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Mohammad Atikur Rahman said I heard about the road communication halt in 12-Mile Dalian Para area due to landslide. The people concerned are working to restore the road communication. Moreover, he said that the people concerned are also trying to restore the power connection in the Upazila. Meanwhile, there was moderate to heavy rainfall in Bandarban from Monday morning. 108mm of rainfall was recorded until 6 am. Moreover, the water level in Sangu and Matamuhuri rivers has increased due to the heavy rain and there is risk of flood because of this. If the rain continues, the low laying area of the Bandarban may go under water. A total of 63 people lost their lives due to landslide in last five years in Bandarban district. Ten people were killed due to landslide last year. Many people are still living with risk at several hills in Bandarban.
Marma, Chairman of Kuhalong Union Parishad, said that they have requested the residents living in the areas adjacent to the hills in Kuhalong Union through microphone to be careful amid the bad weather and moderate to heavy rainfall. Scientific Officer of Bandarban Soil Research Development Institute Md. Mahbubul Islam said landslide can occur due to the moderate to heavy rainfall of the past few days. So, everyone needs to be cautious about this. Kumar Mondol, Officer-in-Charge of Bandarban 1st class weather observatory, said there is a possibility of moderate to heavy rainfall for 72 hours according to the weather forecast. He said 108 mm of rainfall was recorded in the last 24 hours until 6:00 am Monday.
Municipality Mayor Md. Shamsul Alam said that they are announcing through microphone in the municipality area from Sunday instructing the people living in the risky areas to move to a safer place. A total of 19 temporary shelters have been opened in the municipality area. Adequate supplies of dry foods are kept ready as well. Further steps regarding the people living riskily in the areas adjacent to the hills will be taken after discussing it with the district administration, he added.
Deputy Commissioner of Bandarban Shah Mujahid Uddin said they have announced through microphone in the district town, as well as in all the unions, instructing the people living riskily in the hills to move to the shelters. A total of 214 government primary schools in seven Upazilas of the district were declared as shelters.
