Staff Reporter :
The Department of Environment has asked the owners of 106 residential hotels to remove their structures built illegally from the country’s lone coral island St Martin by May 10.
Mohammad Mubinul Islam, Inspector, Department of Environment in Cox’s Bazar district, told journalists that they have on Saturday issued letters to the owners asking them to remove their structure on their own.
Talking to local reporters Md. Masud Karim, Director, Department of Environment (Chittagong), said as they (owners) built the hotels there illegally, they have now been asked to remove the structures at their own cost.
“If they don’t follow the instruction and remove the structures within the deadline, legal action would be taken against them,” he said. He said the biodiversity of St Martin’s is being destroyed in many ways including businesses related to tourism and illegal infrastructure.
“To meet the growing demand for tourists, a large number of unplanned infrastructures have been constructed there. Thousands of tourists always pour in there every day. As a result the island is facing a serious existential crisis,” Masud Karim, said. Earlier on April 21, the Department of Environment asked the authorities concerned to demolish a total of 38 residential hotels from Saint Martin by May 20.
A total of 104 hotels found illegal built there. And their list has also been prepared.
Earlier on March 21, the High Court issued a rule against eleven persons including four secretaries asking why contempt of court charges should not be brought against them over neglecting court order given for protecting the Saint Martin’s. At least seven ships daily carry over 5000 tourists there. Many are regularly disturbing turtle’s habitat in bushes; they buy coral and throw non-biodegradable trash and debris in the sea. The government had implemented a five-year project named “Biodiversity Protection and Eco-Tourism” in the island that ended in 2001.
There is however, no such work in the island for long since then. The Ministry declared St. Martin’s island as ecologically critical area and tourist sensitive zone in 1999, but yet to give any guideline for tourists and the inhabitants there.
The government even did not take any major initiative to make the declaration effective.
High population density, huge illegal infrastructure built in an unplanned manner, destruction of mangrove plants and bushes, collection of sea shells and stones, visit by a huge number of tourists, and dumping of garbage were among many causes that are threatening the island.
The St Martin’s Island is separated from Shah Parir Dwip in Teknaf upazila of the mainland by an 8km channel. Around 7,500 people live in the 8-square kilometre island.
