Urban solutions: The world’s first beach without a sea

There must be a sea when you talk about a "sea beach", right?  

Wrong. Merepour, the capital of Dhoka, is a beach but it is a known fact that the city doesn't have a sea beside it! Yet this amazing area has turned into a beach, a street of water where people enjoy the sights sitting inside vehicles.

For this, a special thanks goes to rain, and the ingenuously blocked-with-garbage drainage system has played a superb supporting role.

"Why do you need a sea for a sea beach when 10 minutes of rainfall can easily do it?" asked a VIP of Merepour.

"We are proud that our unconsiderate behaviour has helped Merepour become the first urban sea beach without a sea. We threw our waste on public roads, instead of dustbins. That simple trick helps us make headlines every time it rains: waterlogging!" a proud urban citizen said.

However, the contribution of authorities concerned can never be ignored.

The way the city's cleaning campaign goes on, deserves every bit of appreciation.

Mayor of Merepour said, "We kept no stone unturned to turn our residential area into a sea beach. People did their part, threw bottles and so on, and we did the rest. That's how our mutual endeavours have earned this prestigious recognition for us."

Entrepreneurs were seen visiting the area with the aim of making some resorts from where customers can enjoy the sights and sounds and smells -- people's daily battle with water being a highlight. Boats can easily be sailed from one place to another.

Children who regularly write the essay "A journey by boat" without ever having been on a boat will now be able to write from personal experience.

The last piece of the beach puzzle – the sand – has been generously provided by the march of development and the construction works. 

"The benefits are myriad," said a local representative who forgot his visiting card. "We have opportunity for tourism, for education and for just plain good old fun."

Pointing to a child happily swimming beside the pavement, he said, "Thanks to the joint efforts of people and authorities this can also be a low-cost swimming pool where children of the city can learn to swim. Others can enjoy the view right from the windows of multi-storeyed building."