Kuakata Beach, known as Sagar Kanya, is losing its attraction due to mismanagement.
Although the Padma Bridge has opened the door of possibilities for the southern region, many tourists have expressed their dissatisfaction over the mismanagement that exists in and around such a charming beach.
Since the opening of the bridge, there has been a radical change in the communication system with Dhaka and other divisions. As the road to Kuakata is getting shorter, so is the time. Standing at the same place to watch the sunset and sunrise and to see the vast expanse of water, Kuakata is on the list of favourite spots.
Tourists said Kuakata is a neglected spot despite its huge potential. Kuakata will become a potential tourist destination only if various problems it has can be addressed properly.
Kuakata is a rare sea beach in Bangladesh that offers scenic beauty with a panoramic view of the rising and setting crimson sun over the Bay of Bengal.
While visiting the beach, this correspondent has found that sand and geo-tube bags are stacked at the entrance of the beach. When tourists want to go down to the Kuakata beach, the way down is not made. The entire beach is occupied by geotubes and geobags. Algae grown on geobags is lying haphazardly and has become a trap for people to get injured. The entire beach is littered with plastic and garbage. The tourists begin with such a boring situation. Various types of shacks are being built around Zero Point. Various types of vehicles drive in front of the tourist police on duty on the beach. Tourists are returning with bitter experiences. There is a fish fry shop on the east side of the beach, from which the sewage is constantly mixing with the beach. Besides, there are motorcycle drivers. When they see tourists, they follow them and surround them. Additionally, the beach is a nuisance for photographers. All in all, tourists do not get a peaceful environment.
The problems are not limited to these things. Before reaching Kuakata, one has to cross the potholed highway from Pakhimara Bazar to Alipur. It takes an hour and a half to come through the 11 and a half km road. When tourists reach Kuakata after facing the trouble, the hotel boys have begun to tussle. The tourists are lured to a substandard residential hotel. Even in the preferred hotel, it becomes difficult for them to get up due to their pain.
The irony does not end here. Kuakata's internal communication system is also very poor. The main attractions here are the sunset and sunrise spots. Tourists look forward to going there, but if there is a little rain, they stop going to these places. For a long time, the original embankment of Kuakata has left a hole, so the water has become muddy.
Despite this, tourists coming to Kuakata are not guaranteed good food. One has to face various problems with rotten and stale food. There are many complaints about higher food prices. Realising the pressure of tourists, the responsible persons of residential hotels, motels, and resorts increased the rent. With all this, the potential tourist destination is slowly losing its identity.
The Kuakata Beach Management Committee, which has been formed with the heads of various departments for the development of Kuakata, is only in name. What needs to be done to improve the beach is not being observed.
Md. Jasim, a resident of Gazipur district, said, “I wanted to come to Kuakata for a long time. Finally, I have come here, but I don’t see anything good. The beach is dirty. Can't walk on the beach because of geo-bags. Shack shops are on the beach. I saw many inconsistencies. We waste God's blessings. The beach needs attention.”
KM Zahirul Islam, secretary of the Tour Operators Association of Kuakata, said the connecting communication system of Kuakata’s aesthetic spots is not good. “The beach has many anomalies. Tourists tell us about various problems. We request the authorities to remove them.”
Al-Amin, AGM of Sikder Resort and Villas, a first-class residential hotel in Kuakata, said, “The government and private investors would have benefitted if such a promising tourist destination could be made tourist-friendly.”
Kuakata Hotel Motel Owners’ Association Secretary Motabel Sharif said, “We hold meetings periodically to make Kuakata attractive to tourists, but the problem does not go away. We have already completed the meeting with the Beach Management Committee. Tourists are turning away from Kuakata. It needs to be addressed now or the tourists will stop coming altogether.
Kaushik Ahmed, municipal administrator of Kuakata Municipality, said, “We conduct operations against rotten and stale food as per routine. We do not allow anyone to do anything that disturbs the interests of tourists. We have already raided a few hotels and fined them. Our drive will continue.”
Kuakata Tourist Police Region SP Md Ansar Uddin said, “Once it was widespread, now it is decreasing a lot. We train photographers and motorcycle drivers to be tourist friendly. Even then, legal action will be taken against those who create problems for the tourists.”
Beach Management Committee member secretary and Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Md Rabiul Islam said, four or five years ago, the geobags were used to protect the beach. It has been torn by the cycle of time, and sometimes tourists get confused. “The beach has already been inspected along with the water development board engineer. They assured me that they would be removed very soon. I will conduct an operation very soon to solve the remaining problems. Work on the road to Ganga Moti on the eastern side of the embankment is in progress. Hopefully it will be completed within one and a half months. A 2 km road is proposed to go west.”
