State Minister for Water Resources Colonel (retd) Zaheed Farooque has called for all-out preparedness for disaster response as cyclone Yaas may hit Bangladesh in a couple of days.
He made the call at an emergency meeting held online on Sunday in the conference room of the Ministry of Water Resources to deal with the upcoming cyclone.
Adequate geo-bags are ready for emergency work including dam or embankment monitoring in risky areas, he said, adding that engineers will also provide masks and salines for the victims.
Instructing to ensure the presence of all on the ground, Deputy Minister for Water Resources AKM Enamul Hoque Shameem, MP, said, “We need to ensure all-round communication including ensuring manpower on an urgent basis.”
No one will be able to leave the station until the disaster is over, he said, adding that if the dam is damaged anywhere, immediate action will be taken.
With Water Resources Ministry Senior Secretary Kabir Bin Anwar in the chair, the meeting was attended by Additional Secretary (Administration) Alam Ara Begum, Additional Secretary (Development) Rokan Ud Daula, Director General of Water Development Board AKM Waheed Uddin Chowdhury, Additional Director General of Water Development Board Fazlur Rashid, Additional Director General Dr Mohammad Mizanur Rahman, Additional Director General AKM Shamsul Alam and other senior officials.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh Red Crescent Society has taken pragmatic measures to deal with a possible cyclone Yaas in the Bay of Bengal, a press release of Bangladesh Red Crescent Society said here today.
A virtual meeting was held at the initiative of Bangladesh Red Crescent Society in preparation for Cyclone Yaas today with Bangladesh Red Crescent Society Secretary General Md Feroz Salahuddin in the chair.
The National Headquarters of the Society has issued instructions to the Red Crescent Unit of Chattogram and Cox’s Bazar districts including 14 coastal districts and those involved in the ongoing Population Movement operation in Cox’s Bazar and activities in Bhasan Char in Noakhali, the release added.
In addition, the Society’s National Disaster Response Team (NDRT), National Disaster Watson Response Team (NDWRT) and Unit Disaster Response Team (UDRT) have been deployed to deal with Yaas.
Besides, virtual training has been provided to these volunteers, officers and unit committee members through ‘Zoom’ platform, said the press release.
