Cyclone Nargis nearly still

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Severe cyclonic storm Nargis is still almost stationary on the West Central Bay of Bengal and likely to be intensified further while moving very slowly towards the North Eastern Bay, with the possibility of crossing Bangladesh-Myanmar coast not before a couple of days.

A special bulletin of the met office said the eye of the tropical storm was about 1,000 kilometres (km) southwest of Chittagong port, 935km southwest of Cox’s Bazar port, and 875km south-southwest of Mongla port yesterday evening, with a minimum wind speed between 90 and 120 kilometres per hour (kmph), within a 54km radius of its centre.

Meanwhile, the council of advisers to caretaker government yesterday took a close look at oncoming Nargis, with Chief Adviser (CA) Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed directing all concerned

to take precautionary measures for any emergency while closely monitoring the storm, reported UNB.

Chairing a meeting of the council of advisers, the CA ordered to follow the standard operating procedure for disaster management, with deputy commissioners concerned being asked to remain alert.

UNB also reported that the government took special measures and the Office of Chief Adviser will remain partially open today and tomorrow during May Day and the weekend, with some officials and employees concerned assigned to monitor the situation of cyclone Nargis with readiness to take care of any emergency. An order of special duties was issued for the staff of the chief adviser’s office yesterday, with a roster of duties for 9:00am to 12 noon, and 4:00pm to 7:00pm.

Nargis, the first cyclonic storm since deadly Sidr, is likely to be intensified further, the met office said.

An official of the meteorological department said, “Probably it is going to hit Bangladesh-Myanmar coast,” adding, it is still too far away to exactly predict the path.

The met office said it will be able to say today what will be the possible time and place of the landfall.

On Tuesday, the met office declared Nargis as a severe cyclonic storm after its wind speed had crossed 89kmph. If the wind speed crosses 120kmph, the storm will be categorised as ‘very severe’, and if it crosses 150kmph it will be labelled as ‘hurricane wind’, met office sources said.

Maritime ports in Chittagong, Cox’s Bazar and Mongla have been asked to keep hoisting distant signal no 2.

The met office warned that the sea will be rough over the North Bay while advising all fishing boats and trawlers to stay close to the coast until further notice.

Bangladesh Inland Water Transportation Authority in a news release last night asked all passenger launches to stop operating near coastal areas until further notice.

Over 3,000 people were killed in cyclone Sidr in November last year leaving over a thousand still missing. The cyclone with a wind speed of 210kmph also caused damage to an enormously large amount of assets and crops leaving millions of people without any livelihood, with many of them yet to rebuild their homes.

Meanwhile, panic gripped many people as soon as they heard about the oncoming cyclone, Nargis.

Our Khulna correspondent reported that people from all walks of life took shelter in schools and cyclone centres at Southkhali on Tuesday night fearing a strike by Nargis, recalling the horrors of dreadful Sidr.

Fishermen from the Bay of Bengal and officials and employees of the Sundarbans Forest Division also took shelter in safe places the same night.

School students of Southkhali did not attend their classes out of panic, and their classrooms were turned into shelters for panic-stricken people.

Most of the people are still panicked about Nargis as the sea remains very rough.

Meanwhile, coastguards and Bagerhat Red Crescent Society took all precautionary measures to face Nargis.

All upazial nirbahi officers of Bagerhat district have been asked to be ready for any emergency.

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