Disaster Management and Relief Minister Mofazzel Hossain Chowdhury Maya said the government has prepared earthquake seismic risk maps for major nine cities and towns of the country.
“As per the maps, we will examine soil condition and vulnerability of existing buildings of the cities and towns to make a set of regulations in constructing new buildings,” he said this on Tuesday while inaugurated a national workshop here.
The nine cities and towns are – Dhaka, Chittagong, Sylhet, Rajshahi, Mymensingh, Tangail, Bogra, Rangpur, and Dinajpur.
Comprehensive Disaster Management Programme (CDMP), the largest project of the government centering disaster preparedness supported by the UNDP, organized the workshop at Khamarbari here.
The minister said the government is working to create 62,000 urban volunteers for ensuring quick rescue response within the community, if any tremor hit in the country. “We have already imparted training to 30,000 volunteers,” he said.
The minister also said the government is implementing different risk reduction schemes at 312 unions under 108 upazilas in 40 districts across the country. The schemes include raising heights of houses, roads and tubewells as well as ensuring availability of drinking water at coastal areas to protect rural community from tidal surge and flood.
The minister laid emphasis on taking more programmes to make common people aware in taking preparedness to face different kinds of natural calamities.
