DHAKA: For its geographical location and the geological formation, Bangladesh has jolted by earthquakes several times. Due to the rise of tremor trend in recent years, panic is prevailing among people.
Bangladesh is not out of earthquake danger for the location of two faults and two plates. Following the 7.9-magnitude earthquake that hit Nepal on April 25; the jolts were also felt in Bangladesh for three consecutive days.
According to National Disaster Response Coordination Center (NDRCC), two persons were killed in the country on April 25 while two others were killed and several injured on April 26. Many buildings were damaged.
As it is not possible to predict the earthquake in advance, awareness programs are the big issues in tackling earthquake.
Moreover, government has trained volunteers making them competent in using instruments, preparing the risk-maps as well as creating awareness.
Bangladesh at risk!
According to the disaster management and relief ministry, Bangladesh is not out of earthquake danger as active Dauki faults located on Sylhet border and Madhupur fault in Tangail and connecting point of the Indian plate and Eurasian plate near the northeast border.
Map
Government has prepared earthquake risk-maps of Dhaka, Chittagong, Sylhet city corporations after analyzing data. The risk maps of Tangail, Mymensingh, Bogra, Rangpur and Rajshahi city corporations have also been designed.
Equipment Purchase
Disaster ministry joint secretary (disaster management wing) Kamrul Hasan told banglanews that Tk 159 crore worth of projects have been undertaken for the purchase of equipment to run the rescue operations during earthquakes and other natural disasters.
Comprehensive Disaster Management Program (CDMP) and disaster management department of the ministry have purchased equipment worth about Tk 69 crore for the joint management of the post-earthquake rescue operations.
The equipment will help counter the risk of earthquake disaster in lanes and by-lanes of the older section of Dhaka city, officials said.
Purchasing equipment worth about Tk 20 crore more, some were provided to fire service for rescue operations while some equipment to the meteorology office, geological survey and Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) for earthquake research and data collection.
The Community Volunteer
It is not possible to cope with a major disaster for the government alone. A sum of 60,000 city volunteers has started training under the supervision of the Fire Service and Civil Defence department and with the support of CDMP.
They will work to rescue earthquake victims in addition to provide them initial treatment.
However, some 30,000 trained volunteers took part in the rescue efforts in Chittagong landslide in 2011 and Rana Plaza tragedy in Savar in 2013.
Under Tk 159-crore project, rescue and search equipment will be provided to six thousand volunteers for earthquake and other disasters.
Awareness-training
The ministry said after the recent earthquake, posters and leaflets are being printed and distributed in different cities in order to create public awareness in the connection. A total of 10 lakh leaflets and one lakh posters have been distributed.
Citing the program has been undertaken to train 2,100 construction workers to build earthquake resistant buildings; officials said, 450 construction workers have already completed training. Besides, 200 imams were trained through the Islamic Foundation to build awareness among common people.
Besides, two-hour training has been added in various training institutes.
Drill Curriculum in textbooks
A ministry official said schools have been asked to conduct earthquake drill on International Disaster Reduction Day and National Disaster Preparedness Day.
The government has a plan to add direction about drill in school curriculum to institutionalize the earthquake drill. At present, ‘disaster management’ has been included in curriculum from class III to Class XII.
Building Code Implementation
The disaster management ministry has requested the city corporations and Rajuk to update the National Building Code with inclusion of the technical information and to take tough actions for implementing it nationwide to make earthquake resistant buildings.
Earthquake contingency plan of the armed forces
Historically, Armed Forces Division has been playing role as first response authorities to tackle disaster. Steps have taken to increase the capacity of the military in order to further strengthen them in earthquake disaster management.
Meanwhile, the Armed Forces have prepared the draft of earthquake contingency plan dividing Dhaka city in 10 sectors, the disaster management ministry informed the media.
Contingency plan to reduce risk
Contingency plan has been created in national, city, ward and agency levels to rapid transition from the status of disaster.
The ministry asked other ministries to take initiatives for reducing disaster risks in the development programs.
Retrofitting
One and four numbers buildings of the secretariat and Dhaka Medical College and Hospital have been assessed for retrofitting. The government has provided equipment and books to public works department to earn knowledge for retrofitting.
Special color at risky buildings
Rajuk and the city corporation were asked to mark 70,000 risky buildings in the capital city with a special color, said disaster ministry's joint secretary Kamrul Hasan to banglanews.
BDST: 1439 HRS, MAY 02, 2015
RS/RR
