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Kuakata eco-park losing attraction

Most of the facilities lying damaged by tidal surge from the Bay of Bengal

SOHRAB HOSSAIN, Patuakhali
People from home and abroad are losing interest in visiting the Kuakata tourist spot as most of the facilities have been damaged by tidal surge from the Bay of Bengal.
Kuakata eco-park was one of the most popular tourist spots in the country. Many tourists, including foreigners, are reluctant to visit the place as the picnic spots, walkways, link road, wooden bridge and tamarisk garden are badly damaged due to erosion in recent years.
Patuakhali Coastal Forest Department set up the eco-park in Kuakata sea beach on 13,984 hectares Of land, including Cangamati, Khajura, Latachaplee and Fatrar Char areas, atacostofTk2.76 crorein2005-2006 fiscal year.
Five picnic sheds, wooden bridge, culverts, internal walkways, office building and ticket counter were built about two-and-a-half kilometres east of zero-point of Kuakata under the eco-park land developmentproject.
There are mangrove trees and 42,000 plants of different species in the park, creating a safe nesting place for birds. A tamarisk garden was also made outside the park to protect it from tidal surges from the Bay.
This correspondent recently found that the wooden bridge over the lake had become unusable as many sleepers had been stolen and many others were broken. The wooden pillars were also broken.
Some trees in the tamarisk garden had been uprooted by the tide.
Abdur Razzak and his wife Tahmina from Gaibandha said they had visited the eco-park in early 2007 and it was an eye-catching and soothing spot. But now the spot has lost its beauty and the walkways, picnic sheds, wooden bridge and culverts have become badly damaged, they added.
Md Saiful Islam of Dhaka said he is very disappointed to see that the internal walk-
ways, culverts and toilets in the park are badly damaged. The authorities concerned should take immediate steps to save the wonderful place from the Bay, considering the tourists' interest, he added.
Many trees in the tamarisk garden, which was made on the southern side of the eco-park to protect it from tidal surges from the Bay, have been uprooted.
The office building, walkways, electrification system and lake were damaged by super
cyclone Sidr in November in 2007.
Kuakata Municipality Mayor Abdul Bareq Mollah said the eco-park was one of the attractive spots here and it should be renovated immediately. "1 raised the matter in the upazila and district level meetings, but no step has been taken yet, "he added.
Patuakhali Divisional Forest Officer Ajit Kumer Rudro said most of the infrastructures are destroyed as heavy tidal surge from the Bay hits the area every year. An embank-
ment should be built immediately to save the infrastructures, including the eco-park, Rudro said, adding that otherwise everything will be destroyed.
Rudro said a seven-member team of Director of the Wildlife Centre of the Forest Department visited the eco-park in August last year to prepare a plan and a budget for its development. But the team is yet to prepare the plan, let alone budget, he added.