Crores’ worth of disaster response equipment collecting dust

A recent report by the Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Division (IMED) revealed that different types of emergency response equipment bought under a Tk 746.05 crore project funded by the World Bank, are collecting dust sitting in warehouses and satellite control rooms across Dhaka city. The report found that there was no allocation for the maintenance of these machinery, some of which are sensitive and may decay if left to be like this.

The equipment was bought as part of the sub-project being conducted by the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) in a bid to improve the country's capacity for emergency response, including fire incidents and earthquakes. Between July 2015 and April 2020, the project had had a progress of 80 percent but the deadline was extended by a year until June 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. However, the authorities then sought further extension of the project timeline until April 2022 and a cost increase to Tk 805.90 crore. This revision is currently pending approval by the Planning Commission.

But what of the equipment which is already here in several warehouses and satellite rooms? For one, the three turntable ladders (brought from Germany), which could be used to douse fire in high-rise buildings, were not found in a useable state by the IMED team in May. While one was found to be operational, another was being repaired by foreign experts, and the third had its side plate damaged during transport. Many ICT equipment were also still in their boxes. The team observed equipment, ambulances, and furniture to be covered in dust in the warehouses and satellite control rooms in Kallyanpur, Mirpur 10, Mohakhali, Azimpur, and Karwan Bazar areas.

Upon visiting the Karwan Bazar warehouse on July 8, reporters of this daily found from nearby construction workers that it had last been opened during Ramadan. Though the executive engineer of area-3 of the DNCC suggested the reporters contact project officials for further queries, the project director said the control rooms and warehouses had been handed over to the zonal executive offices of the DNCC around two years ago. The explanations given by project officials regarding why the turntable ladders were not being fixed are flimsy and shows indifference towards the maintenance of such crucial equipment.   The horrible Narayanganj factory fire and other such devastating disasters remind us of the crying need for such emergency response equipment. If the revision is approved and the April 2022 deadline is accepted, we would urge authorities to ensure that the project is seen through by that time and also that all the equipment procured under it is maintained and used as necessary.