"From now on all sorts of hill cutting will remain stopped," declared the adviser saying that the order will remain in force until a new environmental law is introduced.

He asked the local administration and all other authorities concerned to take care that no hill is levelled for the petty interest of any body.

The adviser said all the cases filed in connection with hill cutting would be revived.

He also expressed his surprise seeing the destruction of environment by the Chittagong City Corporation (CCC).

He was shocked to see that CCC, a government organisation responsible for planned urbanisation, was leveling hills by itself for implementing a housing project disregarding all urban provisions and turning the city into a mess.

"If I were not here, I could never know how CCC is devouring hills spreading over such a huge area to implement a housing project," said the adviser while visiting the project site at Kaibalyadham under Pahartali Police Station in the afternoon.

The adviser directed for stopping implementation of the project 'Lake City Housing Project' that CCC was developing by cutting hills spreading over 30 acres of land.

He also ordered for reviving and speeding up proceedings of the cases filed against CCC for plundering environment.

Earlier in the morning, the adviser visited the Chaktai Khal, the back-bone of the sewerage system of the city, and saw the dilapidated condition of the canal that triggered unprecedented waterlogging and consequent inundation of the city on June 11.

Matin said he would discuss the issue with the chief adviser to take up a project to renovate Chaktai Khal and save Chittagong from water- logging and inundation.

He said drives would start soon to demolish illegal structures and evict encroachers from both sides of the canal.

Acting CCC Mayor Manzurul Alam and Chittagong Development Authority (CDA) Chairman Shah Mohammad Akhter Uddin were present on the occasion.