Local administration has started evacuating and moving the people of Khulna's coastal region to cyclone shelters.
The severe cyclonic storm Fani is likely to hit Khulna, and the southwest coastal area of the country, by Friday at midnight.
To minimize the losses and damage that might be caused by Fani, district administration started to move people from the Sundarbans—and adjoining areas—to cyclone shelters on Friday morning, sources said, reports BSS.
According to the district administration control room, villagers of Koyra, Dakop and Paikgachha have already taken shelter at the upazila cyclone centres, with the help of the local administration.
Towhidul Islam, in-charge of the Khulna district administration control room, said hundreds of coastal residents are expected to take shelter in cyclone centres by Friday afternoon.
The special bulletin issued by the Bangladesh Meteorological Department says, Fani is likely to move in a north-northeasterly direction further, completely crossing the Odisha coast of India by the afternoon, and then move north-northeastwards over the Odisha-West Bengal coastal area, and reach Khulna and adjoining south-western parts of Bangladesh by midnight.
As of 9am Friday, the storm over northwest bay and adjoining west-central bay, moved slightly north-northeastwards, started crossing Odisha coast—near Puri of India—and located over the coastal Odisha and adjoining northwest bay.
It was centered about: 545km southwest of Mongla port, 580km southwest of Payra port, 730km west-southwest of Cox’s Bazar port, and 740km west-southwest of Chittagong port.
Local administration, however, has taken all-out preparations to face Fani.
Khulna Deputy Commissioner, Helal Hossain, said 325 cyclone shelters and 114 medical teams are at the ready, with necessary medicine and water purifier plants, to face any disastrous situation after Fani makes a landfall.
At least 3,500 volunteers—and special teams of the army, navy, coast guard, police and Ansars—are ready to help people before and after the cyclone, he said.
The Water Development Board is also prepared to face situations like reconstructing embankments — if needed.