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Download PDF Bangladesh due to its geographic location has a high risk of experiencing earthquakes but the country does not have the capacity to combat such natural calamity, experts said at a roundtable yesterday.
They pointed out that unplanned urbanisation, over population, poorly constructed structures, lack of coordination between institutions concerned, inadequacy of recovery tools and lack of awareness are putting the nation at high risk.
The experts suggested launching massive earthquake-related awareness campaigns, retrofitting existing buildings, strengthening building inspection system, proper implementation of building code and training for masons, architects and engineers.
Network for Information Response and Preparedness Activities on Disaster (Nirapad) in association with USAID and Care organised the roundtable titled “Earthquake risk in Bangladesh: Preparedness and limitations” at Cirdap auditorium in the city to mark the National Disaster Preparedness Day 2008 today.
ASM Maksud Kamal, an expert on earthquake and tsunami preparedness of Comprehensive Disaster Management Programme (CDMP), in his keynote paper said during the last 150 years seven major earthquakes took place in the country and two of them had their epicentres in Bangladesh.
He said there are four tectonic source zones that can lead to major earthquakes in future and the faults are the Meghalaya fault zone to the north, the Tripura fault zone to the east, the Sub-Dauki fault zone to the north east and the Bogra fault zone to the west.
If an earthquake occurs outside the country then three cities–Dhaka, Sylhet and Chittagong–might be badly affected, he said adding that rapid urbanisation has accentuated the problem of vulnerability.
He said the loss of lives and properties caused by earthquakes can be reduced significantly if the government retrofits the existing buildings located in key points and builds awareness.
Prof Roksana Hafiz Ahmed of Urban and Regional Planning (URP) of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet) said there has been no urban planning to improve the standard of living in the country.
“We never think of earthquake like floods or cyclones and whenever a jolt occurs in the country we panic and after a while we forget the most disastrous calamity,” she said.
She said people’s awareness regarding earthquakes is very poor and we have to take awareness building measures in schools and colleges.
Executive Engineer of Public Works Department (PWD) Syed Mahfuz Ahmed said it is necessary to take proper measures first for buildings at risk.
The concerned institutions have lacking in coordination, an obstacle to preparedness of disasters, he said adding that it is yet to be decided who would supervise implementation of the building code. He suggested building expertise and introducing training for architects, engineers and masons.
Engineer Syed Azizul Haq, structural designer and plumbing specialist of Public Works Department (PWD), said, “We have to provide support to professionals in this sector since we could not produce many professionals involved with buildings.”
He said it is essential to increase technical institutions where the professionals will have support for disaster preparedness.
Abu Naser Khan of Paribesh Bachao Andolan said institutions concerned like Rajuk and Dhaka City Corporation need to take effective steps and many problems will be solved if these perform their duties on their own.
The speakers suggested inclusion of chapters on disaster awareness and preparedness in school and college textbooks and training of first response units.
Moderated by Mehedi Ahmed Ansari, professor of Civil Engineering Department of Buet, the roundtable was also attended by Kamrul Hasan of Geology Department of Dhaka University, Prof Abul Kalam, chairman of URP Department of Jahangirnagar University, Engineer Shah Alam, civil engineer of Rajuk, Abu Syed Khan, Abu Sayed Khan, managing editor of Somokal, and Abul Haseeb Khan, chairperson of Nirapad.
March 31st, 2008 at 10:36 am
Many of the problems can be better adddressed if India do not continue to deprive Bangladseh of its legitimate share of river waters in all seaon. If all the Rivers of Bangladesh are regenerated to its past flow pre farraka days. We must no longer require to use sub surface water for irrigation and other use. The rapid draw down of sub surface water is one of the major reasons for making us more vulnerable to earth quake. We need massive dredging of all rivers to recover the holding capacity of rivers and water ways.We may excavate some large tanks and ponds in every districts to store rain waters. We must immediately reduce use of deep tube wells .
India is pressing us for getting transit , for letting them use our port.We must ask them first to let us our legitimate share of waters in the rivers. If people of Bangladesh see the rivers gettinf g back the old lives then a only we can discuss transit and other issues. Apart from that we must be very serious about urbanisation, adavance earth quake warning , contingency planning for disaster management.