Khepupara Radar Station opens today

Newly constructed Khepupara Radar StationPhoto: STAR

The operation of a new radar station at Khepupara in Patuakhali is beginning today to monitor tropical cyclones generated in the Bay of Bengal and strengthen the early warning system to reduce casualties by natural disasters.
Khepupara Radar Station will be inaugurated in a ceremony at 11:00am at Khepupara where Defence Ministry Secretary Kamrul Hasan is scheduled to be present as the chief guest. Japanese Ambassador to Dhaka Masayuki Inoue and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Additional Resident Representative Eiichiro Cho as special guests.
The radar station has been installed under phase two of Improvement of Meteorological Radar System at Cox's Bazar and Khepupara project with assistance from Japan's Grant Aid, says a press release.
Two radars one located at Cox's Bazaar and the other at Khepupara were earlier installed in 1988 under the assistance of Japan's Grant Aid with two modern S-band meteorological radars.
In 1994, these radars were connected with the Storm Warning Centre in Dhaka with Microwave Link to receive radar imageries directly from Cox's Bazaar and Khepupara.
But with the expiry of normal lifetime of the radars, it became necessary to replace them and following request from Bangladesh, JICA completed construction of both radars.
Both the radars are expected to contribute to the reduction of devastations and causalities caused by tropical cyclones and other natural disasters.
With assistance from Japan, four radars have been installed in Dhaka, Rangpur, Cox's Bazaar and Khepupara while another one is under construction in Moulvibazar.