Keya forests face fresh threat

Natural Keya or fragrant screw pine (Pandanus odorifer) forests on St Martin’s Island are allegedly being ravaged days after the tourism season ended on January 31.

Locals alleged that numerous Keya trees are being felled along the seafront in the Dakkhin-para area to clear land for resort construction.

Tayeb Ullah, a local resident, said he recently visited the area and saw that a portion of the forest had already been cleared, while more Keya trees had been felled and left to dry.

“This dense Keya forest protects the island’s residential areas from the intrusion of tidal water. Several resorts have already been built after clearing Keya forests to give tourists a direct view of the sea,” he said.

He said last year, seawater entered some residential areas during high tide, damaging freshwater ponds and threatening residents’ livelihoods.

Foyezul Islam, chairman of St Martin’s Island union parishad, said he had heard about the indiscriminate felling of Keya trees in the Dakkhin-para area along the beach but was not certain who was involved.

“A beach worker was sent to the spot for inspection on Sunday. Necessary steps will be taken following an investigation,” he said.

He also said the land where the trees were cleared is privately owned. “It is possible that a local person sold the land to a resort businessman from Dhaka. However, it cannot be confirmed why the trees were felled. It may have been for resort construction, or someone may have cut them for roofing purposes,” he added.

Jamir Uddin, director of the Cox’s Bazar district office of the Department of Environment, said they were aware of the incident and were treating the matter seriously, and that a preliminary investigation had already begun.

“The entire St Martin’s Island has been declared an Ecologically Critical Area (ECA), and destroying any natural forest there is illegal. Those found involved will be identified through investigation and legal action will be taken under the Environment Conservation Act,” he added.