Part of Kuakata beach threatened

Two coconut and tamarisk gardens along the Kuakata sea beach are on the verge of extinction as erosion during the monsoon season has been wiping out garden land for decades.

The government, however, is yet to make any move to prevent the damage.

Some local nongovernmental organisations, with assistance from the then government in the 1960s, had planted 15,000 coconut trees on 167 acres of land, said forest department officials in Patuakhali.

Since then the garden has been facing damage from shoreline erosion almost every year due to strong tides. Now only about 50 coconut trees are left, added the officials.

One lakh tamarisk trees were planted on 10 acres at Gongamoti in 2007-08 fiscal year to save an eco-park along the beach of Bay of Bengal.

Patuakhali Coastal Forest Department constructed the eco-park on 34,540 acres at Gongamoti, Khajura, Latachaplee and Fatrar Char areas. The project was implemented in FY 2005-06 at a cost of Tk 2.76 crore.

Over 10,000 trees of the tamarisk garden have been destroyed by coastal erosion in the last five years. On the other hand, the eight-kilometre area of the coconut garden has now shrunk to less than a kilometre, said sources at Patuakhali forest office.

The natural beauty of the gardens attracts many tourists to the beach, said local resident Shahjahan Akon. He urged the government to take prompt measures to save the gardens.

Mihir Kanti Do, divisional forest officer in Patuakhali, said they sent several letters to their higher authorities asking for action in this regard, but in vain.

Md Jahangir Hossain, chairman of Kuakata Beach Management Committee and UNO of Kalapara upazila, said he wrote to the Patuakhali deputy commissioner in July last year asking for steps to save Kuakata beach from erosion. The DC forwarded the letter to the water resources ministry, but was yet to receive a response, he added.

He, however, said the authorities concerned have approved a master plan for development of Kuakata.

In order to save Kuakata beach from erosion,

Bangladesh Water Development Board sent a draft project proposal on protection of Kuakata beach to the water resources ministry seven months ago, said Shahidul Islam, deputy assistant engineer of the board in Kalapara. The proposal involving Tk 55 crore is awaiting the ministry's approval, he added.