Natural Disasters: Take steps to reduce damage

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday directed the authorities concerned to take necessary steps to make sure that damages from natural disasters are kept to a minimum.

“Bangladesh is a disaster-prone country due to its geographical location. So, we've to live with the phenomenon with necessary plans to keep the extent of damages and loss of lives to a minimum during any disaster,” she told a meeting of the National Disaster Management Council (NDMC) at her office.

PM's Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim briefed reporters after the meeting.

The PM said the geographical location of Bangladesh is such that natural disasters might happen anytime and the country's people will have to live facing various natural calamities, including flood, landslide and earthquake.

About disaster preparedness, she said her government has taken measures to face any kind of natural disaster.

Hasina said her government had preparations to provide necessary assistance and support for the victims of recent floods.

The government took necessary measures to that there was no food shortage and people didn't suffer, she said. “The government is importing food grains to ensure food security.”

She put emphasis on starting cultivation and food production so that the future food security is ensured properly.

The PM said although flood causes disasters for farmers and other people through damaging houses and crops, sometimes it also becomes a blessing for the people as it carries silt to cultivable land to make it more fertile.

About the “Mujib Killa” established by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to tackle the tidal surge along the coastal belt, Hasina said the steps were taken to protect people. “The Bangabandhu government also set up 1,000 cyclone shelters in the coastal areas.”

She said following the ideals and initiatives of Bangabandhu, cyclone shelters and other shelter centres were constructed to provide people with necessary shelter during the disaster period.

The PM said her previous government had tackled a long-spanning flood in 1998 when about 70 percent of the country went under water and there was a prediction of death of 2 crore people.

Ihsanul said the NDMC meeting reviewed the progress of implementation of the decisions made in its earlier meetings.

NDMC members, including LGRD Minister Khandkar Mosharraf Hossain, Relief and Disaster Management Minister Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya, Housing and Public Works Minister Mosharraf Hossain and Water Resources Minister Anisul Islam Mahmud, the chiefs of the three services and the inspector general of police were present at the meeting.