Cyclone Remal uprooted Hundreds of trees on Kuakata Beach

Trees uprooted on Kuakata Beach by Cyclone Remal.

Patuakhali: Cyclone Remal has ravaged Kuakata coast. At least 100 crores of taka have been damaged in various sectors including fisheries, agriculture, forest, road communication, embankment, education due to Remal. The green belt of Kuakata Beach has been torn apart by Cyclone Remal. Kuakata beach has become unsightly due to the uprooting of hundreds of trees standing next to the beach.

Kuakata National Park is just 2 km from Kuakata Zero Point. There were hundreds of tamarisk, keora and sal trees in this garden. Tourists used to come and sit under the shade of these trees and enjoy the pure air with the roar of the sea. The national park is lost in the sea. Not only the trees of the national park but also rows of green trees lying on the beach till Gangamati. The trees of these forests were the protection walls of the coast during storms, tides and floods. Which has kept the coast afloat in any previous storm. This green belt has also protected the coast from Super Cyclone Sidor, Cyclone Aila, Nargis, Mahasen, Ampan, Mokha, Bulbul. Saved the coast from extensive damage.

Mejbah Uddin Mannu, the senior organizer of Kalapara upazila of the environmentalist organization Bela, said, 'Trees are our beneficial friends. Scientific research is needed now, the trees need to be saved anyway. We demand that the uprooted trees should not be removed. Now is the time to plant and care for trees in a new way.'

Patuakhali coastal sub-forest conservator Safiqul Islam said, 'The damage that has been done is irreparable. We will not remove fallen trees. It will reduce soil erosion. There will be a natural recovery. As a recovery plan, we will plant tamarisk trees this year.' – Gofran Biswas Palash