In Saint Martin, the country’s only coral island, the sea level rose several feet above normal during the full moon tide. Last Friday, wind speeds increased in the Ghat area of St. Martin, accompanied by drizzle. Some houses on the island were destroyed. More than 10,000 people living on the eight square kilometer island in the Bay of Bengal are in a vulnerable situation due to the hostile weather. Recently, Saint Martin was devastated by Cyclone Mokha. At that time, over a thousand houses were destroyed on the island. After that, the residents are again in trouble due to the bad weather. Md. Zainal Abedin, a resident of St. Martin, said, “The speed of the wind has increased since morning, accompanied by drizzling rain.” Above that, the sea level rose several feet. As a result, some houses on the shore of the island were destroyed. Apart from this, some places including Dailpara, Uttarpara, Galachipa area at the end of Dakshinpara of the island have been broken by the tide and trees have been uprooted.
Saint Matin UP member Mohammad Khorshed said that the height of sea water in the island has increased a lot. As a result, some houses of the shore residents were destroyed. Besides, some parts of the shore of the island have been eroded. The island will not exist if a dam is not built around it quickly. Saint Martin Union Parishad Chairman Mujibur Rahman said that the water level in Saint Martin Island has increased by three to four feet than normal. Some parts of the north, west-east of the island are broken by the tide. Saint Martin is the only coral island in Bangladesh. Saint Martin is known for its sandy beaches in the blue waters of the sea. Saint Martin is on the list of tourist’s favorites due to its breathtaking scenery of natural beauty. But that St. Martin is on the way to disappear. Last Sunday, a report prepared on the island of St. Martin was presented to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Environment. According to the report, several species of aquatic animals are disappearing from the beaches of Saint Martin, the only coral island in the country, despite being declared an ecologically sensitive area 24 years ago and a marine protected area a year and a half ago. According to the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, various coral species including king crabs, snails, oysters, turtles have already disappeared. The Ministry’s report mentioned that apart from tourism, the island’s biodiversity is under threat due to human pressure, excessive fishing and dumping of various wastes including plastic. Apart from various government buildings, this eight square kilometer island has about 200 unauthorized buildings, which are legally illegal. According to environmentalists, if strict measures are not taken from the highest level of the government, not only the biodiversity but the existence of the entire island will be threatened. As the reason they say, many people pick stones from here. There is a possibility that the entire island will sink into the sea at some point if the rock is lifted.
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