Fishermen in the coastal areas of Patuakhali are worried as the authorities have yet to resolve the mechanical glitches of the Khepupara weather radar station ahead of the storm season.
Currently, the station's Pilot Balloon Observation (PBO) is operational. It records rainfall, wind speed, and daily temperature.
However, due to the lack of a radiation system, it is not possible to determine the course of a cyclone and send disaster messages to the people from the radar station.
Tropical cyclones devastate coastal areas and affect fishing in the Bay of Bengal every year. Sometimes, fishing trawlers face stormy weather while at sea due to the lack of disaster data.
Abdus Salam, a fisherman at the fishing port of Mohipur of the upazila, said that they currently get weather information only through the meteorological office.
“Resolving the radar station glitches will help us get detailed information of storms and cyclones, and take precautionary measures,” he added.
Rashid Majhi, another fisherman from the area, said: “We have not received any cyclone or disaster messages from this radar in the last four years. We request the government to fix it quickly for the sake of coastal people.”
Khepupara weather radar station Dhaka TribuneThe Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) constructed the radar station in Patuakhali in 1969 as a symbol of the friendship and cooperation between Japan and the Pakistan government. It was originally built to forecast the weather to protect the coastal people from natural calamities.
In 2008, Japan Radio Company demolished the old infrastructure and installed updated technology at the radar station to automatically collect cyclone data. But in April 2018, components of the station frequency image wing's transmission system and survey system stopped working due to technical faults.
Later, in October 2021, a Jica delegation inspected the overall condition of the radar station and resolved the faults. But after a few days, radiation problems appeared in the radar station. The station has been unable to determine the speed, strength, intensity and location of cyclones since then.
Abdur Jabbar Sharif, officer-in-charge of Khepupara Radar Station at Kalapara, said that the errors in the transmission and survey system of the station's frequency image branch had been fixed.
“Now the new problem is that the radiation device is not working. It can detect the centre of a cyclone and the course of advancement.”
He said the authorities were informed about the problem. “We are exchanging emails with them daily. I hope they will fix the bug soon,” he told Dhaka Tribune.
Member of Parliament for Patuakhali-4 constituency and Member of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defense Ministry Mohibbur Rahman Mohib said that the Jica officials inspected the radar station after the ministry had sent letters. “I hope the problem will be solved soon.”