Only tourist police box on Kuakata beach about to disappear into sea

The lone police box in Kuakata tourist town about to be eroded into the sea

Patuakhali: 'If the sand erosion continues like this for another day or two, our police box will disappear into the sea. The surrounding area has already disappeared into the sea. Whenever the sea is rough, we are in panic, when the last part will collapse. Our higher authorities have talked about the repair and preservation in various offices including the Kuakata Beach Management Committee, the monthly meeting of the upazila, but since no arrangements have been made, we have taken all the goods inside the police box to the office. Somehow, now I am sitting in the front part and performing my duties. Ignoring the sun and rain, I am serving the tourists by hand mike,' - Nazmul Ahsan, the tourist police, Kuakata zone in-charge, told the media personnel.

The erosion of Kuakata sea beach, the tourist city of Patuakhali, has now taken an aggressive form. The full moon tide, adverse weather conditions and rough sea waves are removing sand from a vast area of the beach every day. As a result, the only police box of the tourist police adjacent to Zero Point is waiting to disappear into the sea.

The continuous tide and rough waves of the last few days have created large holes in various places on the beach. As the tide water has risen much deeper than before, erosion has also increased alarmingly in the eastern and western parts of the beach. Locals claim that if permanent defense measures are not taken quickly, it will become difficult to protect important structures and tourism infrastructure.

According to local sources, about one-third of the soil under the temporary police box at Zero Point has already collapsed. As a result, there is concern not only about the safety of police members but also about the movement of tourists.

Local residents and businessmen said that although erosion has been occurring in various parts of Kuakata beach for several years, the current situation is relatively more dire. Thousands of tourists flock here every day. If important structures on the beach are damaged, there is a risk that tourism, religious and administrative activities will also be damaged, as well as the image of Kuakata.

Local businessman Md. Milon said, waves are now coming in much deeper during high tide than before. Places where tourists used to walk normally a few months ago have now created large holes. Concerns are growing among businessmen as water has reached near mosques, temples and police boxes. If permanent defense measures are not taken quickly, businesses and tourism infrastructure may also face major damage.

Tourist Rubayed Ferdous, who came to Kuakata to enjoy the natural beauty of Kuakata, said, "I am disappointed to see the erosion of the beach. Such a situation in one of the country's tourist centers is also a concern for tourists. It is necessary to take effective and sustainable measures quickly to ensure the beauty of the beach and the safety of tourists."

Engineer Nihar Ranjan Mandal, general secretary of Kuakata Sri Sri Radhakrishna Mandir Tirthayatri Sevashram, said that for the past few years, the Water Development Board has been trying to temporarily prevent erosion by placing geo bags on an emergency basis during the monsoon season. However, this is not a permanent solution. The same problem is recurring every year. It is urgent to implement permanent coastal protection projects in important tourist and religious areas like Kuakata.

President of the Tour Operators Association of Kuakata (TOAC) Ruman Imtiaz Tushar said that hundreds of crores of taka of private investment have been made around Kuakata in the last decade. Various tourism service institutions including hotels, resorts, restaurants, travel agencies have been established. If the message of beach erosion and insecurity spreads among tourists, the entire tourism industry will face losses. Therefore, for the sake of sustainable development of Kuakata, a large-scale coastal protection project needs to be implemented quickly.

Executive Engineer of the Kalapara Water Development Board Md. Shah Alam Bhuiyan said, there are many problems while working in Kuakata, when we go for emergency work, the common people ask about the sand provided in the bags. We are trying to provide supply bags. So that the tourist police box can be protected, for now we will do that work within two days.

Kalapara Upazila Executive Officer and Member Secretary of Kuakata Beach Management Committee Md. Arifuzzaman said, we have already talked to a sponsor company, they will build another one next to the one that is being destroyed. - Gofran Palash