Asianbangla, Patuakhali : The businessmen in Kuakata sea beach area are worried as erosion has taken a serious turn in recent days due to tidal surge.
Locals said tidal surge is the main cause of erosion in Kuakata. At least 10 feet of a paved road at Kuakata Zero Point were washed away this season as heavy tidal surge hit the shore.
Investors, people’s representatives and journalists had been holding programmes, including human chains in different areas for the last two weeks, demanding steps for protection of the area.
Local people, journalists, tourists and businessmen formed a human chain on the beach on Friday.
Kuakata Municipality Mayor Abdul Bareq Mollah and Kuakata Press Club President Mizanur Rahman Bullet spoke at the programme. They urged the prime minister to take immediate steps to protect the beach.
Bareq said at least 20 letters were sent to different departments and ministries concerned in the last two years, demanding steps to protect the beach from erosion, but in vain.
The beach is becoming smaller day by day as it has to face cyclones, storms and tidal surges that damage it badly every year, he said.
Kuakata Hotel-Motel Owners Association Secretary Motaleb Sharif said Kuakata is a unique spot, from where both sunrise and sunset can be seen.
Hotel Kings owner Md Mostafizur Rahman said he built the hotel about 30 years ago on 30 decimals of land and the beach was several hundred metres from the hotel. There are only nine decimals left this year as the rest has been washed away into the Bay over the years, he added.
Lawmaker ABM Ruhul Amin Hawlader, also owner of Grand Hotel, said investors are worried as the number of tourists has decreased due to erosion of the beach.
Many people, from home and abroad, who planned to invest here, are getting discouraged by the erosion that has taken a serious turn recently, he said.
Kalapara Circle Water Development Board Executive Engineer Abul Khayer said they are trying their best to protect the beach from tidal surge temporarily by piling sandbags along the shore.
They sent a proposal to the higher authorities for approval to build a protection dyke here, but the planning ministry sent it back recently for another feasibility study, he said
