Thousands of tourists come every day during the winter season to enjoy the beauty of the coral island of St. Martin. But when ships sailed from Teknaf to the St. Martin jetty tourists become scared. Because the jetty built almost more than a decade ago has not been renovated.
There are frequent accidents take place during embarkation from the ship or crossing the jetty.
Locals say the only modern jetty in St. Martin's built by the contractor of the CMM consortium in 2004 at an estimated cost of Taka 2 crore. For a long time, the Jetty railing of the East Side Parking and guide vim, spring vim went into the sea water. Below the jetty most of the plaster eroded and the rod appears. As a result, there is a possibility of accident at any moment. Recent tornado Foni caused severe breakdowns and cracks on the jetty amid severe waves. There is no care of the administration concerned about this jetty. This has created resentment among the local residents of the island.
It is reported that in St. Martin, there are about small and large 50-100 residential hotels, houses, cottages, restaurants, 100 to 200 shops, 114 vans and rickshaws, 25 service boats, 10,000 people living on the island. All wait for the tourist season for income. When will the tourist season come?
Selimuddin, a West Side resident of St. Martin, told barta24.com that the passengers had to drop in the saline water as the ship could not touch the almost broken down jetty. During the current tourist season, the waves of the tourist ships due to strong waves and winds also caused some cracks in the jetty parking. During the monsoon, a guide wave of east-side parking of the jetty sank into the sea due to severe waves in the Bay of Bengal. As a result, regular tourist ships and service boats are taking off with passengers at risk.
Tourist couple Samira-Solaiman coming from Dhaka, said the ship took much time to anchor at the ruptured jetty of St. Martin. So we demand concerned to take appropriate measures to attract more domestic and foreign tourists through rapid repair of the jetty for our benefit.
Syed Alam, general secretary of the St Martin Service Boat Owner Cooperative Association, told barta24.com that the service boat could not be anchored as there was no guide vim in the Eastern side. If one ship was anchored with much trouble and risk another had to anchor in the middle of the Bay of Bengal. In the alternative system the passengers embark or get down. We demand for rapid renovation of the risky jetty.
Teknaf Carey Sindbad ship in charge Md. Shah Alam told barta24.com that there is no alternative to new jetties to ease the travel of tourists arriving on the shabby jetty, the only entry route to the island of St. Martin. So, like every year, I wish the zila parishad to make the jetty suitable repairing with good timber. St. Martin's Union Council chairman Noor Ahmed told barta24.com that the railing was renovated at a cost of Taka 5 lakh last year. During the monsoon, the jetty again cracked due to severe waves. Urgent action is needed to construct a new jetty on the south side of the existing jetty, the chairman said.
It is to be noted that on the island of St. Martin lakhs of tourists visit every season with an average of 10,000 daily. At any time, tourists can get into a major accident. The tourists who come from far and wide want safe travel services through jetty repairing.