Govt asked to procure quake rescue equipment

The High Court in a verdict yesterday directed the government to procure necessary rescue equipment in case of any earthquake disaster in the country.
The HC also directed the government to form a committee headed by the secretary to the home ministry to prepare a list of necessary equipment within two months.
The committee will place its recommendations to face any earthquake disaster and the list of rescue equipment to the finance ministry for allocation of fund within two months after the formation of the committee, the court ruled.
As per the ruling, the committee will comprise high officials of the ministries of finance and disaster management, director general of the fire service, two university professors and two NGO representatives.
The committee, if necessary, may co-opt members to examine the equipment that the government already has and consider the ones needed for rescue operations in case of any disaster of earthquake, the court ordered.
It said proceedings of this court would continue until the directions are implemented and any party related to this case can appear before this court for necessary direction in this regard.
The HC bench of Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain and Justice Quamrul Islam Siddiqui came up with the verdict upon a writ petition filed as public interest litigation by Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh.
Petitioners' counsel Manzill Murshid termed the HC verdict an epoch-making one, saying if the directions are implemented, lives of thousands of earthquake victims could be saved.
While talking to The Daily Star, he said the equipment and preparation of the government is too poor to survive even a moderate earthquake.
The writ petition stated that as per reports published in the media and information received from different sources, at least 22 items of rescue equipment are badly needed in conducting rescue operation.
The items include six 170-foot turntable ladders, six 88-foot snorkels (tubes used for breathing), 20 high hydraulic-power breakdown vans, eight emergency tenders with lighting units, six chemical tender for putting out fire, six bulldozers, six crush tenders, two foam tenders (to put out fire from oil) and six 11,000-litre water tenders.
Deputy Attorney General Rajik-Al Jalil stood for the government.