Drive to save St Martin's island
Thursday, 9 December 2010
COX'S BAZAAR, Dec 8 (bdnews24.com): The Department of Environment (DoE) has fined two organisations and an individual Tk 1.66 million for harming the environment and ecology at the country's only coral island Saint Martin's.
A department statement said the fines, to be paid by Thursday, were slapped on Tuesday after calling them to the DoE Cox's Bazaar office. They were asked to pay the fines to the DoE director general's office in Dhaka.
DOE director (enforcement) Munir Chowdhury told the news agency "Hotel Blue Marine was fined Tk 1 million, Keari Limited was fined Tk 0.1million and one retired Major Sohel Rana was fined Tk 0.5million.
"Keari Limited and Sohel Rana built structures using corals while Hotel Blue Marine authorities constructed the three-storey establishment on reserved land," he added.
The department also asked Hotel Blue Marine to remove their illegal structure within Dec 31. Keari Limited was asked to remove the coral structures and put them back in the sea by Dec 15 and Sohel Rana by December 22.
The DoE recovered 55 acres of 'unauthorised land' from illegal occupants during a drive in the Saint Martin's Island Monday. They seized 5,000 tonnes rock, five tonnes powdered rock, 190 packets of tiles, 76 sacks of cement, two generators and a large amount of coral from several parts of the island, treated as ecologically critical area.
The illegal structures were owned by Mohammad Sulaiman, Col Moeenul and Sohel Rana, Abid Azad, Keari Ltd, Hotel Blue Marine and Hotel Beach Heaven. The four individual and authorities of the three hotels were asked to appear before the department's Cox's Bazaar office Wednesday.
The director hinted that another drive will be conducted this month to save the biodiversity of the island.
He also said the island could not be preserved without reducing the number of tourists.
A department statement said the fines, to be paid by Thursday, were slapped on Tuesday after calling them to the DoE Cox's Bazaar office. They were asked to pay the fines to the DoE director general's office in Dhaka.
DOE director (enforcement) Munir Chowdhury told the news agency "Hotel Blue Marine was fined Tk 1 million, Keari Limited was fined Tk 0.1million and one retired Major Sohel Rana was fined Tk 0.5million.
"Keari Limited and Sohel Rana built structures using corals while Hotel Blue Marine authorities constructed the three-storey establishment on reserved land," he added.
The department also asked Hotel Blue Marine to remove their illegal structure within Dec 31. Keari Limited was asked to remove the coral structures and put them back in the sea by Dec 15 and Sohel Rana by December 22.
The DoE recovered 55 acres of 'unauthorised land' from illegal occupants during a drive in the Saint Martin's Island Monday. They seized 5,000 tonnes rock, five tonnes powdered rock, 190 packets of tiles, 76 sacks of cement, two generators and a large amount of coral from several parts of the island, treated as ecologically critical area.
The illegal structures were owned by Mohammad Sulaiman, Col Moeenul and Sohel Rana, Abid Azad, Keari Ltd, Hotel Blue Marine and Hotel Beach Heaven. The four individual and authorities of the three hotels were asked to appear before the department's Cox's Bazaar office Wednesday.
The director hinted that another drive will be conducted this month to save the biodiversity of the island.
He also said the island could not be preserved without reducing the number of tourists.