Kuakata rest house about to be devoured by Bay
Kuakata Rest House, virtually unusable since the onslaught by cyclone Aila on May 25 in 2009, now faces extinction as erosion by the Bay of Bengal has reached its premises. PHOTO: STAR
Kuakata rest house, which has remained virtually useless since cyclone Aila damaged it on May 2009, now faces devouring by the Bay of Bengal as erosion has reached its compound. Local Government and Engineering Department (LGED) built the impressive rest house cum biogas plant on the Kuakata beach in 1988 to make the scenic spot more attractive to the tourists from home and abroad. Sitting in the rooms of the two-storied building, tourists could see the sunset scene and hear the roaring of the Bay. Rooms of the rest house always remained filled up or booked by tourists and LGED earned good amounts as rent as tourist. LGED also set up a biogas plant run by human waste from the rest house and electricity was supplied to the rest house round the clock from this biogas plant. But super cyclone Sidr on November 15 in 2007 washed away the boundary wall and badly damaged the beautiful building and over 100 tamarisk trees that were planted around the building. Considering demand of tourists, LGED renovated the rest house at a cost of Tk 25 lakh. But cyclone Aila damaged it again on May 25 in 2009, turning the rest house virtually unfit for use. Authorities should take fresh step for renovation of the rest house as it has a great demand to the tourists from home and abroad, said Ruman Imtiaz Tushar, a cultural activist and journalist in the area. "We requested the authority concerned to take step to repair the rest house as it is situated on the best place in Kuakata sea beach but to no effect. LGED can protect the rest house from tidal surge by building a flood control embankment around the building," said local UP chairman Abdul Bareq Mollah. When contacted, SM Abdus Salam, executive engineer of LGED, said, "We renovated the rest house after Sidr but it was again damaged by Aila. High tide, especially during the rainy season, often hits the spot. Now water touches the rest house as erosion has increased in recent times." "The rest house is now under threat of total extinction by the Bay. We are not taking further steps for renovation as it would mean loss to public funds," he added.
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