Allegations have surfaced of the embankment slope being occupied once again in Patuakhali’s Kuakata-Gangamati area, with structures freely built there without authorisation. At least 200 small and large structures have already been built. Allegations have also emerged of trees planted by the forest department being cut down near Dholai Market to make way for construction.
Local sources and an on-the-ground visit found that hundreds of structures have gone up on the river side of the embankment stretching from Mirabari to Jhaubagan along Kuakata beach. Some new structures have also been built further along, from there through the Gangamati bridge area up to Dholai Market, where construction is still under way on both sides of the market. It is alleged that trees on the embankment slope are being cut down and shops and other structures built in their place, raising questions about the effectiveness of the forest department and the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB).
According to BWDB sources, an initiative was launched in 2019 to reshape and beautify the 39-kilometre embankment of BWDB’s Polder No. 48 and protect it from sea erosion, in the interest of the Kuakata-Gangamati tourism area. Previously, 7,316,5637 — that is, 7.31 crore — taka was paid in compensation to remove 673 structures that had been built by occupying the embankment slope. Later, with World Bank assistance, around 150 crore taka was spent repairing, reshaping and beautifying the 39-kilometre embankment. Concrete blocks were installed near Kuakata beach to prevent sea erosion, and afforestation was carried out on both the river and country sides of the embankment.