Ctg admin steps up preparations
The Chattogram district administration has stepped up its preparation to deal with the impact of Cyclone Mocha, which is expected to make landfall on Sunday.
A total of 1,170 permanent and makeshift cyclone shelter centres in the district have been prepared to give shelter to at least people five lakh people, reports our Chattogram staff correspondent quoting a local official.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. Cyclone Mocha is expected to hit land with wind speeds of up to 160 kilometers (100 miles) per hour and gusts up to 175 kph (110 mph) between Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh and Kyaukpyu in Myanmar, India's Meteorological Department said.
As the storm, which is likened to the devastative Cyclone Sidr in 2007, approaches, the administration took the final preparation to relocate the vulnerable people to shelters. Officials were seen advising people to come to the cyclone shelters through loudspeakers.
The Chattogram Port was advised to hoist local warning Signal 4 this afternoon.
Hussain Muhammad, assistant commissioner of Chattogram District Administration and focal person of the cyclone combat cell of Chattogram District Administration was seen supervising the awareness campaign in Akmal Ali Road at Halishahar in the port city this afternoon.
Hussain said a total of 1,170 permanent and makeshift cyclone shelter centres in the district have been prepared to give shelter to the people, adding, over five lakh people can take shelter in the cyclone centres.
Over 8,000 volunteers from Cyclone Preparedness Programme (CPP) and more than 8,000 volunteers from Bangladesh Red Crescent Society have been taking part in the awareness campaign and relocating people to the cyclone shelter centres, said Rakib Hasaan, additional district magistrate of Chattogram.
Sufficient amount of rice, dry food, water purifying tablets and oral saline has been allocated for the areas, said Rakib, adding, all the upazila nirbahi officers are put on alert and they all were taking part in awareness and relocation activities.
However, people in different coastal upazilas in the district said they did not see any sort of awareness campaign from the district administration.
Contacted, Zafar Ullah Titu, former mayor of Sandwip Municipality, said no awareness campaign was seen in the municipality area till this afternoon.
Echoing the same, Jamal Uddin, former chairman of Bauria union of Sandwip upazila, said there was no publicity from the district administration to make people aware till this afternoon.
Asked, Samrat Khisa, upazila nirbahi officer, Sandwip, said publicity would start this evening.
He said a total of 162 cyclone shelter centres remain open to give shelter to 1.5 lakh people. "We have estimated that over one lakh vulnerable people are to be relocated in the cyclone shelter centres," he said.
The Chattogram Civil Surgeon Office has also taken preparation to provide medical support to the people in the cyclone centres and possible cyclone-affected areas.
Contacted, Dr Ilias Chowdhury, Civil Surgeon of Chattogram, said a total of 284 medical teams have been prepared for providing healthcare in 15 upazilas in the district, adding, besides, Chattogram General Hospital and nine urban dispensaries in the port city are ready to provide treatment facilities in the city areas.
As the Chattogram Port has been advised to hoist signal no. 4, the Chattogram Port Authority (CPA) issued alert no. 2 for the port this afternoon, said Omar Faruk, secretary of CPA, adding, all the ships anchored in the port have been asked to remain alert.
"We will ask all the ships to go to the outer anchorage when the port would be advised to hoist signal no. 5," he said.
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