The Army, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard will evacuate people from hard-to-reach areas when needed after the landfall by Cyclone Sitrang, while the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society (BDRCS) has deployed around 1,200 volunteers to the coastal areas for relief efforts.
State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief Enamur Rahman on Monday said: “We have requested that representatives of the Armed Forces and Coast Guard assist us in relocating people from danger zones to the safe cyclone shelters and they have agreed. Volunteers of the Fire Service and Red Crescent are also working alongside volunteers of the Cyclone Preparedness Program (CPP) to ensure the safety of people.”
Replying to a question, he said that Sitrang is a severe cyclonic storm, but it is unlikely to turn into a very severe or super cyclone like Sidr in 2007.
“We've prepared a total of 7,030 cylcone shelters in 15 coastal districts where around 2.5 million people can be accommodated. In each of these districts, we've allocated Tk5 lakh and supplied daily essentials like rice and lentils so that people can eat cooked food. Besides, dry foods like biscuits have also been made available so that people may not suffer from hunger,” Enamur said.
Asked when Sitrang will hit Bangladesh, the state minister said that the impact will be between 6:00am to 7am on Tuesday morning.
“The Met office has hoisted danger signal 7 in various coastal districts, including Bagerhat, which may go up to signal 10. We'll ensure the safety of people and their cattle, but we can't assure that agricultural and fisheries resources will remain unaffected,” Enamur Rahman added.
Navy at the ready
Seventeen ships of Bangladesh Navy, two Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) and two helicopters have completed all necessary preparations for deployment in Chittagong, Khulna and Mongla naval areas for emergency rescue, relief and medical assistance after Cyclone Sitrang.
These ships have already been prepared with relief materials to provide emergency rescue, relief and medical assistance to the sea and coastal areas as soon as possible. In addition, naval contingents have been kept ready for deployment in post-cyclone coastal areas, the Inter Service Public Relations (ISPR) said in a message Monday evening.
Search and rescue operations will be conducted in the Bay of Bengal based on the information provided by the Navy's MPA and helicopters.
In the first phase, BNS Samuddra Abhijan will be engaged in Cox's Bazar, St Martin's and Teknaf areas, BNS Padma in Kutubdia and outer anchor areas, BNS Hatia and LCT 103-Sandwip in Hatia adjoining areas, LCVP-12 in Patuakhali area and LCVP- 12 in Pirojpur and Barguna areas.
Besides, BNS Shwadhinata, BNS Prottasha, BNS Prottoy, BNS Daleshori and BNS Nirmul are ready for conducting search and emergency search and rescue operations. Besides, BNS Adammo, Atandra, Dudharsha and Durdanta and Dhansiri have been kept ready in Pagla, Narayanganj.
Special medical teams will be engaged in providing free medical services with life-saving medicines, saline and other materials for emergency medical assistance in post-cyclone affected areas. Navy ships and contingents will be deployed in the second phase after monitoring the storm's intensity and incidence of injuries.
Red Crescent deploys 1,200 volunteers
The Bangladesh Red Crescent Society has deployed around 1200 volunteers in the coastal areas to protect people from the cyclone.
The volunteers are working together with the government in all kinds of support activities, including relocating people from coastal areas to safe shelters, said BDRCS in a statement on Monday.
BDRCS is working in coordination with the Meteorological Department, DCs concerned, the Cyclone Preparedness Program (CPP), IFRC, RRRC, UNHCR, UN Refugee Agency and IOM to reduce the damage from Cyclone Sitrang.
People from coastal areas who are at risk have already taken shelter in 65 shelters of the society and other shelters.
The society has arranged solar power at 20 shelters to provide around-the-clock electricity. Preparations have been taken to provide relief at the shelters.
Red Crescent volunteers are also working with CPP volunteers to disseminate signals and warning messages at seaports.
The Chairman of Bangladesh Red Crescent Society, Major General (retd) ATM Abdul Wahab, said millions of people who are at risk due to the sudden cyclone are in dire need of humanitarian assistance.
“Bangladesh Red Crescent Society volunteers are always ready to provide all kinds of emergency assistance in such situations,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Red Crescent Society has allocated around Tk15 lakh on an emergency basis for the distribution of dry food among people who are in danger due to Sitrang.
