Erosion hits Marine Drive hard

Heavy rains and high tide during the full moon are causing erosion to Cox's Bazar sea beach, Cox's Bazar-Teknaf Marine Drive, and in Matarbari of Maheshkhali, said public representatives and government officials.

Among those three places, the erosion in some parts of the Marine Drive has taken a grave turn from Thursday, affecting at least 10 points in Teknaf.

Around half of the 50-metre wide Marine Drive in west Mundardail area was washed away on Thursday morning after geo tubes protecting the road were torn apart by strong waves, said Amir Hossain, a local resident.

Due to influence of full moon during high tide, waves become stronger than usual, causing erosion at Baharchhara ghat, Mundardail, Hadurchhara and West Mundardail areas on the Marine Drive, said Kamruzzaman, upazila nirbahi officer of Teknaf.

The engineering corps of Bangladesh Army is working to prevent erosion, he said.

Siddique Ahmed, member of Sabrang Union Parishad, however, said illegal sand lifting from the sea by some local influential people is causing the erosion.

"In Cox's Bazar town, sand has receded from Laboni point due to high tide. We have placed 3-4 geo tubes to protect the beach," said Dr Tanjir Saif Ahmed, executive engineer of Bangladesh Water Development Board.

"We are also working to repair breaches at two points of the geo tube protected area in Matarbari of Maheshkhali upazila and in Kutubdia upazila," he also said.

"About 145 metres of the beach at Laboni point has been eroded in the last few years. This is an effect of sea level rise due to climate change," Dr Ahmed added.