Freeing St. Martin's of plastic pollution

Saint Martin's is a small island in the Bay of Bengal. It is the only coral island of Bangladesh, located on the southernmost tip of the country. Many of us know how valuable this island is to us for its marine resources. From the point of biodiversity, its importance cannot be overemphasised. The island is a good example of co-existence of corals, algae, seaweeds, grasses and mangroves. There are nearly 10,000 people on this island of 12 square kilometres. In the tourist season (November-March), 5,000 to 10,000 people visit this island daily and litter a huge amount of plastic and other non-biodegradable waste on the beach and in the water adjacent to the island. Littering of plastic waste is taking a toll on the flora and fauna of the island.

Around 3,000 kilogrammes of single-use plastic waste are dumped by tourists on the Saint Martin's Island every day during the peak season, according to The Earth, a non-profit organisation working on community development and environment. What is further worrying is that approximately 87,000 tonnes of plastic waste are reportedly dumped into the ocean through the coastal areas of Bangladesh annually. The government has already taken some steps in this regard. But implementing those steps is the key. The tourists should be more conscious about keeping the island free of plastic pollution.

Fariha Tabassum Piya,

Student of Department of Management,

University of Dhaka, Dhaka,

f.tabassum36@gmail.com