As the Cyclonic storm ‘Mocha’ is brewing over the Bay of Bengal, panic gripped the residents of coastal areas of Bagerhat district due to the vulnerable state of dyke at several points.
Residents of Sharankhola, Baleshwar, Pashur in Mongla, and Panguchhi in Morelganj upazilas are passing sleepless nights, worrying over when and where the storm and high tide will hit.
According to Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD), Mocha is likely to make landfall on Cox’s Bazar coast by Sunday (May 14).
If the water rises 5 feet above normal, a number of villages will be flooded as 11km of the embankment is at risk while around 25,000 shrimp enclosures may be washed away, said locals.
At least 446 cyclone shelters have been prepared in the district to accommodate people while 98 per cent of boro paddy has been harvested in the district.
Around 11 km of the embankment at different points is in a vulnerable condition. Many villages in the district will be inundated if the tidal water rises.
Executive Engineer of Bagerhat Water Development Board Masum Billah said there are 340 km of dam in the district and currently, the authorities concerned are repairing three km of dam in Morrelganj upazila.
If the water rises above the normal tide, the vulnerable dams might break down and water can enter the locality, he said.
Meanwhile, the shrimp industry of the district may experience a huge loss as all shrimp enclosures could be washed away due to high tide.
During a recent visit to some shrimp enclosures, this correspondent found many farmers busy dumping soil along the enclosures and using nets to save their shrimps from being washed away.
ASM Russel, Bagerhat District Fisheries officer, said there are 73,000 fish enclosures and of these, 25,000 are in a vulnerable condition.
However, advice was given to the farmers to surround the edge of the enclosures with netting at a height of 2.5 feet above the water and 6.5 feet above the ground, said Russel.
Besides, hearing about Cyclone Mocha, farmers have already harvested their boro paddy; 98 per cent of the paddy has been harvested in the district.
Deputy Director of Bagerhat Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) Md Rafiqul Islam said “The boro paddy from the remaining 2 per cent land or about 243 hectares will be harvested within a day or two.”
Voicing concern, Rafiqul also feared that the cyclone may damage mangoes and that’s why he also asked the mango farmers to harvest the fruits from their orchards as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, the local administration has kept 446 shelters ready to accommodate about 2,35,975 people.
Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Azizur Rahman said the local administration has taken all-out preparation to tackle the cyclonic storm Mocha.
A meeting, organised by the District Disaster Management Committee, was held on Wednesday where the authorities concerned decided to take all precautionary measures depending on the weather bulletin, he said.
409 shelters prepared in Khulna
Local administration has kept 409 cyclone centres prepared for sheltering 2,73,850 people as the deep depression over the Bay turned into Cyclonic storm ‘Mocha’.
Khandaker Yeasir Arefin, deputy commissioner of Khulna, said the government has opened 409 cyclone shelters in the district so that people can take shelter if needed.
He said a meeting of the disaster management committee will be held at 3:30 pm today.
Abdul Karim, district relief and rehabilitation officer, said the upazila level officials were asked to remain in their respective workplaces and take precautionary measures.
They were also asked to take steps to inform people about the danger signal through loudspeakers.
Amirul Azad, in-charge of Khulna Weather Observatory Centre, said due to the impact of cyclone ‘Mocha’ heavy rains accompanied by gusty wind may lash the district on May 13.
However, unless the direction is changed, there is no possibility of the cyclone hitting the Khulna coast, he said.
