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Download PDF The destruction Sidr inflicted on much of southern Bangladesh is not so apparent in the tourist resort of Kuakata, nevertheless the cyclone has left this community in total disarray.
All structures outside the embankment have been wiped out. Hotels, restaurants, dry fish traders, roadside shops and other beachside businesses have all been severely affected.
The possibility of quick rebuilding also seems thin as the affected, who badly need financial assistance, are yet to get any such assurance from the local administration.
Following the cyclone, relief poured in from all corners with locals receiving food, cash and materials to reconstruct their houses. However, during the ongoing peak season Kuakata is yet to receive its most cherished visitors — tourists.
Hotels are marking zero occupancy, shops in the local markets are empty of merchandise and the famous dry fish industry is yet to rebuild its infrastructure.
The loss of livestock and poultry in surrounding villages was such that the local markets have no supply of chickens since November 15.
Every day buyers move around the market waiting for farmers from surrounding villages to arrive with some products to sell. As soon as someone arrives with a chicken or vegetables, it is instantly grabbed by eagerly waiting buyers.
Tahmina Selim Nila, who runs Hotel Nilanjana, one of the largest hotels in Kuakata, says they had no tourists since the mega-cyclone hit.
Parjatan Hotel, which is usually booked for the entire season, is now been empty for weeks.
Other small hotel owners are in the same predicament. While staying at an LGED guesthouse it was found that the remaining 16 rooms are empty.
“Apart from one or two groups of relief workers, we have had no occupancy at all this peak season. I suppose tourism is going to be very badly affected this year,” Nila says.
The hoteliers have not reported arrival of any local tourists, leave alone anyone from abroad.
Immediate relief work is not a priority now for many locals. They nevertheless stress the need for starting rehabilitation as soon as possible so that small traders and other businesses can regain their footing and revive the crucial tourism industry.
Cyclone Sidr has shattered Kalam Akand’s dreams. Kalam owned a grocery store on the Bay side of Kuakata’s embankment. Now this thirty-five-year old man spends his days in search of aid so that he can rebuild his business.
“My lifetime savings are gone; if I don’t receive some sort of help from outside it will be impossible for me to restart. Every business outside the embankment has been washed away in waves, the future looks very bleak,” he says.
Rahman Mia, Tayebur Rahman, Ripon Khalifa, Al Amin and Masud — all rent out sun-loungers on Kuakata beach — are now struggling to rebuild their businesses. They said the surge took away all their materials including the parasols, benches and mattresses.
“We are now trying to secure soft loans, but since we don’t operate with any installations the authorities are reluctant to offer any financial assistance to us,” says Al Amin.
Kuakata’s famous dry fish industry is possibly the worst affected in the entire region.
Traders export dry fish to Hong Kong, Singapore and other countries in Asia, as well as exploiting the lucrative domestic market. Operating from warehouses along the beach, the traders say they are now totally ruined.
“Just the other day there was a false tsunami warning so we had to move our stock to a safer place, which cost us a lot of money. When Sidr warning came, most of us did not take it seriously; our losses are in crores of taka,” says Abu Khalifa.
Khalifa, who lost his entire stock along with his warehouse, estimates his loss to be around Tk 10 lakh.
Like Khalifa dry fish traders Khalil, Azmat Ali, Hatem, Dulal, Kuddus Mreedha, Yusuf Mreedha are unsure of their future with no means to restart their businesses. Many of these traders are now forced to consider taking high-interest loans from private lenders.
However, fishermen, dry fish traders and other small businesspeople have initiated their own efforts with whatever they have to recover from the colossal loss.
FOREST
Department of Forest officials in Alipur say over 50 percent of the 3,000-acre forest in Kuakata has been partially or totally destroyed.
Abdul Haque, range officer for Mohipur, says they would leave the regeneration of the forest up to nature.
“We are only removing trees which fell on the roads. Otherwise the actual forest will not be touched; within a few years the forest will be restored,” he hopes.
Kuakata forest is situated on the beach and is a vital protection for scores of villages as well as being a natural flood protection embankment for the entire area. It also plays an important role in improving soil fertility, he notes.
The Kuakata Eco-Park project, which is scheduled to be completed this year, has been severely affected. Besides damaged plants and trees, the cyclone brought down the boundary wall.
GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE
Abdul Barek Molla, chairman of Latachapli union, which covers almost the whole beach area, tells The Daily Star the upazila army coordination office sought a list of affected fishermen and trawler owners yesterday.
“I don’t know how much they are going to pay to each of the affected,” he says.
On assisting the dry fish traders, he says he asked the UP members to prepare a list but they are yet to submit any.
Barek says he did not receive any instruction from the government regarding assistance to the hoteliers and restaurant owners.
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