Erosion eats away charms of Kuakata

The tourist hub of Kuakata, famous for its white sandy beach offering a full view of the sunrise and sunset, is slowly falling prey to erosion by the sea. And the abnormal tides triggered by the current monsoon have aggravated the problem.

Several vendors plying their trade on the beach complained that they were forced to shift their stalls several times due to the marauding sea. “The small shopkeepers are in dire straits. We have no place to move now except the highway,” said a vendor displaced by erosion. But the worst-affected seems to be the Kuakata National Park and the green farms that dot this tourist town in Patuakhali district.

Locals said the storm surge from the sea and continuous erosion have washed away around 33 km of the sea beach. In the past 10 years, thousands of acres of Latachapali mangrove have disappeared and the famous religious sites in the area are facing the risk of extinction.

“The natural beauty of the Kuakata has been disappearing over the past few years due to continuous erosion by the sea,” a resident of the town complained.

Around thousand hectares of forest land have already been washed away, with the worst-affected being the 200-acre coconut garden set up by the nature lover Fayez Miya in 1960.

The garden, known as Kuakata Farms, offers a unique attraction for tourists because of the rows of coconut trees. Once famous as an entertainment centre and picnic spot, the garden now presents a sorry reflection of its past.

Several coconut trees were uprooted during the rains last year, and the situation was no better this monsoon.

A Sal forest on the West side of Kuakata sea beach, adjacent to zero point, presents an equally sorry sight.

Local residents complained that the administration has taken no steps to combat the erosion by sea.

Kuakata Press Club president Nasir Uddin Biplob said: “The rest of the beach will be lost if work on protecting the Kuakata coastline does not start immediately”.

Md Abul Khayer, executive engineer of the Bangladesh Water Development Board (Kalapara zone), said plans to protect Kuakata beach were underway. But he could not tell when the actual work would begin. Patuakhali deputy commissioner Masumur Rahman said the government has already taken steps to prevent erosion. The real scenario, however, tells a different story.

 

Erosion eats away charms of Kuakata

The tourist hub of Kuakata, famous for its white sandy beach offering a full view of the sunrise and sunset, is slowly falling prey to erosion by the sea. And the abnormal tides triggered by the current monsoon have aggravated the problem. Several vendors plying their trade on the beach complained that they were forced to shift their stalls several times due to the marauding sea. The small shopkeepers are in dire straits. We have no place to move now except the highway, said a vendor displaced by erosion. But the worst-affected seems to be the Kuakata National Park and the green farms that dot this tourist town in Patuakhali district. Locals said the storm surge from the sea and continuous erosion have washed away around 33 km of the sea beach. In the past 10 years, thousands of acres of Latachapali mangrove have disappeared and the famous religious sites in the area are facing the risk of extinction. The natural beauty of the Kuakata has been disappearing over the past few years due to continuous erosion by the sea, a resident of the town complained. Around thousand hectares of forest land have already been washed away, with the worst-affected being the 200-acre coconut garden set up by the nature lover Fayez Miya in 1960. The garden, known as Kuakata Farms, offers a unique attraction for tourists because of the rows of coconut trees. Once famous as an entertainment centre and picnic spot, the garden now presents a sorry reflection of its past. Several coconut trees were uprooted during the rains last year, and the situation was no better this monsoon. A Sal forest on the West side of Kuakata sea beach, adjacent to zero point, presents an equally sorry sight. Local residents complained that the administration has taken no steps to combat the erosion by sea. Kuakata Press Club president Nasir Uddin Biplob said: The rest of the beach will be lost if work on protecting the Kuakata coastline does not start immediately. Md Abul Khayer, executive engineer of the Bangladesh Water Development Board (Kalapara zone), said plans to protect Kuakata beach were underway. But he could not tell when the actual work would begin. Patuakhali deputy commissioner Masumur Rahman said the government has already taken steps to prevent erosion. The real scenario, however, tells a different story.