Cox's Bazar beach, the longest natural sea beach in the world with a length of 120 kilometres, is now facing a serious environmental threat as gigantic heaps of garbage have washed up on the sandy beach, causing inconvenience to tourists.
Local administration and environment offices begin cleaning up the garbage spread on the beach between Najirer Tek point and Darianagar point of Himchhari.
The garbage, which reportedly washed up along with the waves from Wednesday night till filing this report (Saturday), include rubbish like plastic, electronic waste, nylon fishing nets, and empty liquor bottles. A number of marine wildlife, both dead and alive, were also found amid the garbage.
Cox’s Bazar administration and environment officials said that the rubbish washed up along with the tides due to seasonal Nor'wester (Kal-Baisakhi).
Visiting the Laboni point of the sea beach, the local administration and volunteers were seen cleaning up the garbage. Nurul Hakim, a cleaner at the beach, told Bangladesh Post. “We have been trying our level best to clean up the beach since Wednesday. Garbage is coming along with every tides and waves. Some locals were also seen collecting the garbage for cooking materials. Nurul Amin, a child from Kolatoli point said, “I have been collecting wood, plastics and different useful materials from the beach for cooking and other usage,”
Cox's Bazar Additional District Magistrate Md Abu Sufian said, “The rubbish is coming in such a degree for the seasonal Nor'wester (Kal-Baisakhi). We assigned adequate cleaners to keep the beach clean.”
“I saw the garbage after I came to the beach for a walk. It covered almost 1km stretch of the beach. There was no condition to walk on the beach and a strong stench was coming from the waste,” Rashed Ripon, a resident of the Kolatoli area said.
Obaidur Rahman Shohan, who comes to Cox’s Bazar to enjoy with his loved one, expressed dissatisfaction for the rubbish washed up along the long stretch of the beach.
“I could not even walk on the beach due to the garbage. Bad odor of dead sea creatures distract me from enjoying the freshness of the sea.” he added.
Bangladesh Oceanographic Research Institute (BORI) Directorate General Sayeed Mahmood Belal said that the waste is gathered in a place in the sea due to the low pressure and sea waves. Later, the piles of rubbish come towards the shore.”
Environmentalists and locals have expressed concern over the situation, fearing great damage to the environment of the beach.
Scientist Belal Hayder Farvej said, “This garbage might cause an environmental disaster and harm marine life and their ecosystem if not remo
ved quickly.”