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Environmental Degradation: Consequences of Indiscriminate Hill Cutting in Sylhet District

M. Z. Rahman
Associate Professor
Department of Farm Structure, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh-2202, Bangladesh

M. R. Islam
Assistant Professor
Department of Farm Structure, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh-2202, Bangladesh

M. Z. Abedin
Professor
Department of Farm Structure, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh-2202, Bangladesh

A. Begums
Postgraduate student
Department of Farm Structure, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh-2202, Bangladesh

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

This study was conducted to assess the environmental degradation as consequences of indiscriminate hill cutting in the sadar upazilla of Sylhet district. The study elucidates the causes of hill cutting and the use of cut soils, utilization of cutting areas and plant biodiversity status of the study area, and overall impacts of hill cutting on environment. Data were collected from 60 local respondents within the purposively selected twenty spots of both private and public owned hills through pre-tested questionnaire. The results of the study revealed that the privately owned hills were cut fluently than the public owned hills. A total of thirteen reasons were identified for hill cutting out of which planned establishment by real estate businessmen, individual settlement, land filling and use of cut soils in brick field were the major causes. Deforestation was the major environmental problem created by hill cutting. Establishment of industries and brick field by hill cutting causes different types of health hazards and the local people of these areas were languishing with such problems over the years. The study area as a whole lost its natural beauty as a consequences of hill cutting. The study suggests some guidelines to overcome hill cutting problems towards protecting the environmental degradation.

Keywords: Carassius aututus, Lactobacillus sp, Tubifex sp, Bioencapsulation

Location: Companyganj and Gowainhat on the north, Fenchuganj on the south, Gowainghat and Golapganj on the east and Biswanath and Chhatak of Sunamganj district on the west.

Start Date:

End Date:

Program Area: Risk Management in Agriculture

Commodity: Land degradation

Objectives:

l. Identify the ownership and causes of hill cutting;

ii. Observe the modes of utilization of hill cutting areas and the soils;

iii. Study the biodiversity status of hilly areas;

iv. Identify the impacts of hill cutting on environment.

Methodology:

The hilly area in the Sylhet sadar is 6,777 hectares which is13.4% of its total area. Sylhet sadar is quite different from other for its unique natural beauty characterized by hills, rivers, forests and tea gardens. The vulnerable hill cutting areas access to communication was selected for the survey purpose. In total, 20 spot locations were purposively selected for data acquisition. The field observation was accomplished through personal visits and conducting interview with local people.Identification of the existing biodiversity was accomplished with the help of rural aged people and local journalists. Most of the species of trees were finally identified with their botanic names. In addition to the formal survey, informal discussions were hold with the elite persons of the study area to gather information and knowledge about hill cutting, their usages, problems and species identification, suggestions and overall perception towards the environmental degradation. Secondary data were collected from different sources like daily news paper, magazine, department of Forest and Environment, search from internet and previous research and survey reports including the Upazilla Statistics Office. The hill cutting situation and different modes of utilization of cutting area, degradation of the area and subsequent trend to the environment due to hill cutting were observed. The overall environmental degradation of the upazila were assessed on the points such as cutting intensity of hilly areas and time, utilization of cutting areas and soils, plant biodiversity of the area and its impacts on environment.

Source of Information: Bangladesh Journal of Agricultural Engineering, pp: 1-10, Vol: 21(1&2), 2010, ISSN 1015-4426

Article Link (Online Journal):

Funding Source:

Budget:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

Individual settlement, establishment of real estate business, low land filling and rising of plots, low price of hill soils, and extension of urbanization were the major causes of hill cutting. The usages of the cutting areas were real estate business, individual settlement, industrial establishment and communication purpose. The rate of hill cutting was increasing gradually with the passage of time. The hills under private ownership were highly vulnerable compared to the public owned ones for plant and animal biodiversity. Many plants and wildlife species disappeared during the last twenty years. Drainage systems, ponds, lakes, canals, rivers created a threatened problem for the environment due to deposition of hill soils. Hill cutting, therefore, is a major environmental issue of the studied area and the government must have to take necessary steps to stop hill cutting immediately for securing the ecological balance and sound environment.

Knowledge Management: Journal