Home ›› 06 May 2022 ›› Governance
Bangladesh is taking preparations to tackle the cyclone which has formed in the Andaman Islands, said State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief Mohammed Enamur Rahman on Thursday.
The cyclonic storm, supposed to be named as ‘Ashani’ following its formation, is likely to make landfall on the Bangladesh coast, he said.
“The cyclone may hit Satkhira after trailing through Indian states Odisha and West Bengal,” he said after a meeting at the secretariat concerning the cyclone preparedness.
“Yesterday (Wednesday) we came to know that a cyclonic system has developed near the Andaman islands. The weather system is likely to turn into a low pressure by May 9,” he said.
The state minister said the weather system may turn into a depression within May 11 and then it will turn into a deep depression. “Once it turns into a cyclonic storm, it will be named as Ashani. However, the exact landfall spot is yet to be calculated.”
He said, “As Bangladesh is a cyclone-prone country, we have bitter experiences regarding the natural calamity. That’s why we have held a preliminary meeting today (Thursday).” Enamur said, “We are alert and have started taking preparations in this regard.”
There are around 7,000 cyclone shelters and if necessary, the authorities will use schools, colleges and other structures, he said.
During the cyclonic storm Amphan, the authorities prepared more than 14,000 shelters where more than 2.4 million people could take shelter, the state minister added.
However, the Odisha government on Thursday issued an alert of a possible cyclone over the Bay of Bengal, asking the district authorities to be prepared for any situation, reports Hindustan Times quoting news agency ANI.
The warning comes amid the Indian Meteorological Department also predicting a cyclonic storm around May 8 with a wind speed of up to 75km per hour.
