NEWS reports highlighted on Friday how high population density, pollution, unplanned illegal infrastructures and reckless tourism are threatening the bio-diversity of St. Martin’s Island in the Bay of Bengal. This is the only Coral Island Bangladesh has in the sea and we must do everything to preserve it. Environmentalists have called for proper policies and coordinated management to protect the Island’s bio-diversity and special features. Its beaches need to be protected from random disposal of waste, plants to be saved from destructive hands and land from sea erosion. Animal species and plants on the island are under threat from the thousands of visitors round the year who come to see its beauty but unknowingly destroying its beauty. Experts have raised major concerns about the impact of tourism on its natural habitat. As time passes, the bio-diversity crisis is only worsening with more people regularly draining its resources causing damage to environment. It is a known scientific fact that the more bio-diversity an area may have, it looks healthier with large number of animals and plant species having their home to it. We urge the government to take serious exercise to understand the bio-diversity of the island to save its environment and the people. When the ecologically sensitive areas of the island are not well managed and preserved, the results will be dire. Tourists need to be made aware of their negative impact on the island’s environment. Awareness programme must be at work to alert tourists that their insensitivities may cause big damage to the island they like so much. The government must work on policies that will restrict permanent settlement and urbanization and deny commercial activities by vested interest quarters who are active to make its land their personal property. In St. Martin’s as well as Cox’s Bazar we have seen poor development decisions such as extensive buildings on beaches and unplanned urbanization without thought for proper roads or sewage disposal. It has already done irreversible damage to the environment. The big players who make these irresponsible decisions need to be held accountable. Even though tourism is important for the economy, it should not be allowed to be destructive for the island. The authorities should make efforts in ensuring the protection of the bio-diversity by preserving plants and species and asking people to respect its natural character. We suggest the island must have only limited structures where the number of tourists should also be limited to preserve its bio-diversity and save it from destructive human hands.
