COX'S BAZAR: The marine environment in and around Saint Martin's Island in Cox's Bazar is in peril due to construction of permanent structures, felling of trees, and destruction of corals.
Despite regulations, permanent structures including hotels and resorts are being built in the island.
Locals alleged that construction materials including bricks, sand, rods, and cement are being brought into the island for building hotels and resorts, which is totally illegal.
Even corals are being used for building new resorts, they said.
The government declared Saint Martin's Island an Ecologically Critical Area in 1989. Constructing permanent buildings and facilities are completely banned here.
However, at least 11 new resorts are now being built in the island, confirmed officials of the Saint Martin's Island Union Parishad (UP).
Out of 11 structures, six are permanent buildings, and the rest are semi-buildings with wooden-bamboo installations, they added.
Apart from the residents of the island, people from other districts are also getting involved in the construction of these resorts, the UP officials said.
Visiting the island, this correspondent came to see a number of under-construction structures.
A two-storey resort, owned by Nazrul Islam Chowdhury from Bhola, is having its finishing touch on the island's west coast while three brick-built, two semi-brick-built, and three wood-bamboo structures are being constructed in Diya Mata and Galachhira areas of wards 8 and 9 under Saint Martin's Island union.
According to the locals, the owners are Rashid Ahmed, Jahed Hossain, Shahidul Islam Bijoy, Sajjadur Rahman Baten, Palash, Mamun Babu and many others from Dhaka.
When contacted over the phone, Sajjadur Rahman Baten said, "We are building the resort with wood and bamboo, which resembles complete ecotourism."
"Permission is not required for constructing any structure with trees and bamboo," said Rashid Ahmed.
Not only that, trees and bushes are being cleared for constructing hotels, motels, restaurants and shops on the coastal areas, said the locals.
The noise from the generator running constantly in the hotels is causing serious noise pollution in the island, they also added, saying that snails, oysters and stones are being extracted in the only coral-reef island of Bangladesh.
According to experts, around six species of corals are now at risk of water and environment pollution due to excessive human pressure during the tourism season.
When contacted, Teknaf Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Parvez Chowdhury said, "No one is allowed to build any permanent structure in the island."
He also said that legal action would be taken against those who were destroying the corals, and involved in cutting down palm trees.
According to the rules, permission is required to take any construction material from Teknaf to the island.
Cox's Bazar Deputy Commissioner Mamunur Rashid said, "The construction of resorts here has been banned for a long time."
Commenting on destroying the island's corals, Cox's Bazar Environment Department Deputy Director Sheikh Mohammad said, "If anyone is found building anything with the corals, they will face the music."
Former UP chairman Nur Ahmed said, "The island that covers an area of just eight square kilometres has 18 hotels, motels and cottages."
He added that the island had a population of 10,026 as of December 2020. The number of families in the island is 1, 454.
"Hundreds of more houses have been added in the last one year," he also said.
When asked about the construction of buildings with corals, he alleged that some dishonest people are involved in collecting the corals, and sell them to new resort owners.
