The port city of Chittagong and the sea city of Cox’s Bazaar have taken special measures to face the cyclone ‘Mahasen’. The Chittagong district administration held an emergency coordination meeting today (Sunday) for making the necessary preparations to avert human casualties and loss of properties if Cyclone ‘Mahasen’ hits Chittagong. Chittagong district deputy commissioner Abdul Mannan presided over the disaster preparedness coordination meeting while high-ranking officials of all the departments concerned, including the Chittagong City Corporation, police, Bangladesh Army and fire services and civil defence attended it.
At the coordination meeting, a threadbare discussion on the necessary preparations for dealing with the cyclone was held. A ‘cyclone preparation committee’, headed by additional deputy commissioner (general) Abdul Quader, was formed.
Chittagong district relief and rehabilitation officer (DRRO) Abdul Malek told The Independent this afternoon that they have already made all preparations, including opening a control room at the district administration office and getting the cyclone shelters ready. The control room’s phone number is: 031-611545. “We’ve also asked the volunteers to be ready for extending their help to preclude human casualties and property losses as a result of the cyclone,” he added.
The Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) has also taken the necessary measures for facing the cyclone. CPA secretary Syed Farhad Uddin said the CPA is very much alert over the situation. “We’ve already directed all the ships to anchor on the safe side of the sea and the trawlers and engine boats to come close to the coast and take shelter,” he added.
Cox’s Bazaar’s district administration has also made all-out preparations to face the cyclone ‘Mahasen’. The district administration has cancelled the leave of all officials of the district administration and other departments, including the health department.
A disaster management coordination meeting was held this afternoon at the conference room of the Cox’s Bazaar district administration. Deputy commissioner Ruhul Amin was in the chair.
At the meeting, the deputy commissioner said the district administration has taken the initiative to halt all the sea-going fishing boats and trawlers at Cox’s Bazaar coast and at safe shelters till further orders.
A total of 113 emergency medical teams have been formed to respond rapidly to any emergency.
Disaster expert and Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology vice-chancellor Prof Dr Jahangir Alam suggested to the departments concerned to make all the cyclone shelters usable by Monday as most of them are currently in a shabby state.
He also suggested to the government to engage the volunteers for creating awareness among the people of the coastal areas about Cyclone ‘Mahasen’ and its possible landfall by making use of mikes (loudspeakers) from today onwards. This would ensure that they can make the necessary preparations to go to safe shelters before the cyclone hits here.
He called upon poor people living in thatched houses along the coastal areas to tighten their thatched or tin-shed houses with ropes and bamboos as quickly as possible so that their abodes are not blown away.
On the other hand, the Joint Typhoon Warning Centre of the US Navy saw ‘Mahasen’ racheting up wind speeds of up to 157 km/hour, gusting to 185 km/hour, just before it makes landfall. The US agency has noted that Chittagong in East Bangladesh is the likely landfall area.
-With The Independent input
