Police Service Box at Kuakata Beach Swept Into the Sea

A.M. Mizanur Rahman Bullet, from Kalapara (Patuakhali)

A service box of the Tourist Police located on Kuakata beach in Patuakhali has been swept into the sea due to severe erosion. At the same time, intense erosion has appeared across a wide area, including the Sunset Point on the Marine Drive. As a result, the coastal protection embankment and the newly constructed Marine Drive Road are also facing serious threats.

A report had previously been published highlighting erosion across an 18-kilometre stretch of Kuakata. It had warned that the Marine Drive and the embankment could come under threat if urgent measures were not taken. Within a few days, that concern has begun to materialise.

On the ground, it was found that the Tourist Police service box was completely swept away by the waves of the rough sea on Tuesday. Erosion has also appeared at the Sunset Point of the Marine Drive. At various points of the coastal protection embankment from Zero Point westward to Lembur Bon, CC blocks have subsided and become displaced.
The Water Development Board (WDB) has placed sand-filled geobags in some areas to prevent further erosion. However, there are concerns over how effective the measure will be. Local residents fear that if effective measures are not taken quickly, the coastal protection embankment could collapse at any time, allowing saline water to enter the residential areas of Kuakata.
Severe erosion has been affecting Kuakata beach for a long time. Every year during the monsoon season, rough waves gradually push the beach closer to residential areas. Local residents have repeatedly raised the issue in the media and staged movements demanding measures to prevent erosion.

The WDB had already submitted three projects to the Planning Commission to prevent erosion. However, the projects were not approved for various reasons. Last year, the WDB submitted another project proposal costing Tk 7.59 billion. As the proposal has still not been approved, uncertainty remains over the implementation of a permanent solution to the erosion problem.

Currently, large waves from the sea are directly hitting the embankment at the western edge of Zero Point. As a result, the CC blocks in front of the embankment are becoming unstable and shifting from their positions. According to officials concerned, if the situation continues, the stability of the embankment could face a serious threat.

M.A. Motaleb Sharif, president of the Kuakata Hotel-Motel Owners Association, said Kuakata has gained recognition as an international tourist destination over the past 25 to 30 years. More than 400 hotels, motels and resorts have been established there, with businessmen investing several thousand crore taka.
“However, the entire tourism industry is now under threat because of sea erosion. We have repeatedly contacted various government departments and submitted letters on the issue. If erosion is not prevented quickly, Kuakata’s tourism industry will face major losses,” he said.

Md. Shah Alam, executive engineer of the Kalapara Water Development Board, said a project to prevent erosion in Kuakata had been submitted to the Planning Commission. “The project may be facing delays in approval because of its high cost. Therefore, an alternative project with lower costs is being prepared. Once the proposal is completed, it will be submitted to the government. Through this project, initiatives will be taken in phases to prevent sea erosion,” he said.

A.B.M. Mosharraf Hossain, member of parliament for Patuakhali-4 (Kalapara-Rangabali), said efforts were initially being made to prevent erosion by placing geobags. “At the same time, work is underway to obtain approval for a Water Development Board project for a permanent solution. I hope a permanent initiative to prevent sea erosion in Kuakata will be possible very soon,” he said.