The natural beauty and green pageantry Lalmai Mainamati Pahar of Cumilla district is on the verge of destruction. Land digging and tree felling are regular incident there. Department of Environment is not taking any step against this destructiive activities, locals said.
The hilly land is somewhere plain and somewhere turning into pond. As a result along with environment destruction we are losing different rare trees, many animals such as wildcat, fox, rabbit and different type of birds.
Hill cutting groups are cutting trees recklessly. The police administration and the Department of Environment are allegedly silent in this issue.
According to local sources, this historical Lalmai- Moynamoti pahar is not only well-known for its natural beauty but also it is one of the oldest historical places. There is historical Chandimura temple in Lalmai, Kutabari Buddha Bihar, Itakhulamura, Rupbanmura and minimum 27 historical places in Maynamoti Pahar (hill).
Recently Archaeology department recovered some gold coins and historical tokens from Maynamoti Pahar. Despite being an important historical place, many hill cutting groups are digging these places recklessly under powerful political shadows.
According to local sources, before recovering historical tokens form Mynamati Pahar, the digging process started for civilization. At first a survey unit was established on the hill, later establishment of Maynamoti cantonment, war cemetery, BARD, Comilla Polytechnic Institute, BGB 10 battalion, Comilla University and different private institution’s work is continuing on it.
Locals said that the Department of Environment did not prohibit building these institutions by digging hills. As a result people started digging hills recklessly. Commercially land digging of Maynamoti Pahar started in 1980s during building Bipas Road from Alekharchor, Comilla to Shuyagazi. Later the soil of this hill was used to fill up low land, ponds and to fulfill other needs in the city.
Currently a national highway is also making by using this hill soil. It creates many holes in the hills and hills are becoming plain land. Gradually green pageantry of hill is turning into long plain lands and people are cultivating fishes on those holes.
Lalmai Moynamoti Pahar district consists of four upazila in Comilla- Sadar south, sadar, Burichong and Barura. This hill land measure is 14,000 acre with 14 mile length and 7 km width.
Lalmai Maynamoti pahar land was used to cultivate by locals before the separation of India- Pakistan, According to some sources. After the British Empire, locals got the permanent settlement over the hills. Now the ownership of hills is changing daily.
Now the hills are crowded by residents. Some place of Forest department are also on different litigation. Seeking anonymity locals said that land digging groups were digging lands and selling the soil from different areas of Lalmai Moynamoti Pahar. Historical Lalmai Moynamoti Pahar is on the verge of extinction by this heinous activity.
And Department of Environment and Police are not taking any effective step to save these historical places. As a result different rare animals, birds are also on the verge of extinction, locals said.
Deputy Commissioner Cumilla of M Kamrul Hasan said, “I am looking into the issue. Who are involved in cutting hills and destroying natural beauty will definitely come under punishment.”