Staff Reporter :
Bangladesh is located on a high-risk zone for earthquake, but the government is yet to take precaution to minimize the damage before the disaster strikes the country, experts said on Friday.
“Most of the government’s preparations are based on rescue operations, but there is no awareness even among the rescue workers about how to minimize the loss of lives and properties. If the rescue workers are unable to save themselves from the destruction, they cannot come to conduct the rescue operations after the quakes,” Syed Humayun Akhter, Professor of Geography of Dhaka University, said at a seminar in the city.
Prostop, a forum of town planers, organized the seminar at Dhaka Reporters Unity with a view to creating mass awareness about the preparations for earthquake.
Professor Akhter, who presented the keynote paper, said due to geographical location, Bangladesh is located on a high risk zone and a strong earthquake can strike the country any time, but the government is not well-prepared to face the disaster.
“We have some arrangements to conduct rescue operations after the disasters. But the people even the Fire Service men are not aware of the fact that what they should do during the quake. At first, they will have to know how to save themselves if an earthquake hits the country and then they will go to rescue the other people,” he said.
Terming the recent earthquake in Nepal is a wakeup call for Bangladesh, Professor Akhter said, “The Nepal earthquake was originated from the meeting point of the Indian Plate and Eurasian Plate, several hundred kilometers from Bangladesh. The middle line between the two plates gathered much energy, which may move towards the Bangladesh territory and cause serious earthquake in the country.”
Apart from that, Bangladesh also stands on five major geological faults, some of which gathered huge energy for years but did not release the power in the last one thousand years. “So, there is a possibility for us to suffer a severe earthquake which could be more damaging that that of Nepal,” Professor Akhter warned.
“Much awareness among the people about the nature and safety measures for the earthquake can minimize the damage. But the government is yet to take any preventive measures in scientific way,” he said.
Architect Iqbal Habib, the Joint Secretary of Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon, demanded the identifying of risky buildings in the city. “We have long been demanding that the government should identify the risky buildings. The most vulnerable buildings must be red, the repairable buildings would be orange, less vulnerable buildings yellow and the safe buildings should be in green colours so that the people can realize the conditions of the buildings.”
In order to minimize the casualties, he said the use of land and the development plans must be worked out on the basis of geographical resource conservation and geological conditions of the lands, otherwise, no plan would work.
The General Secretary of Bangladesh Institute of Planners, Akhter Mahmud, said Bangladesh is a densely populated area and open spaces are rare in the cities to take shelter during the quakes. “Dhaka and other cities of the country were not built in a planned way. So, the effect of any strong earthquake would be more destructive in Bangladesh.” he said.
“With a catastrophe like earthquake knocking at the door, we cannot remain dormant. Still we are not aware about the safety measures. We don’t know what to do to save ourselves before and after the earthquakes. Unless, we start our preparations to face the disasters, we have to pay high price for that,” he added.
Bangladesh is located on a high-risk zone for earthquake, but the government is yet to take precaution to minimize the damage before the disaster strikes the country, experts said on Friday.
“Most of the government’s preparations are based on rescue operations, but there is no awareness even among the rescue workers about how to minimize the loss of lives and properties. If the rescue workers are unable to save themselves from the destruction, they cannot come to conduct the rescue operations after the quakes,” Syed Humayun Akhter, Professor of Geography of Dhaka University, said at a seminar in the city.
Prostop, a forum of town planers, organized the seminar at Dhaka Reporters Unity with a view to creating mass awareness about the preparations for earthquake.
Professor Akhter, who presented the keynote paper, said due to geographical location, Bangladesh is located on a high risk zone and a strong earthquake can strike the country any time, but the government is not well-prepared to face the disaster.
“We have some arrangements to conduct rescue operations after the disasters. But the people even the Fire Service men are not aware of the fact that what they should do during the quake. At first, they will have to know how to save themselves if an earthquake hits the country and then they will go to rescue the other people,” he said.
Terming the recent earthquake in Nepal is a wakeup call for Bangladesh, Professor Akhter said, “The Nepal earthquake was originated from the meeting point of the Indian Plate and Eurasian Plate, several hundred kilometers from Bangladesh. The middle line between the two plates gathered much energy, which may move towards the Bangladesh territory and cause serious earthquake in the country.”
Apart from that, Bangladesh also stands on five major geological faults, some of which gathered huge energy for years but did not release the power in the last one thousand years. “So, there is a possibility for us to suffer a severe earthquake which could be more damaging that that of Nepal,” Professor Akhter warned.
“Much awareness among the people about the nature and safety measures for the earthquake can minimize the damage. But the government is yet to take any preventive measures in scientific way,” he said.
Architect Iqbal Habib, the Joint Secretary of Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon, demanded the identifying of risky buildings in the city. “We have long been demanding that the government should identify the risky buildings. The most vulnerable buildings must be red, the repairable buildings would be orange, less vulnerable buildings yellow and the safe buildings should be in green colours so that the people can realize the conditions of the buildings.”
In order to minimize the casualties, he said the use of land and the development plans must be worked out on the basis of geographical resource conservation and geological conditions of the lands, otherwise, no plan would work.
The General Secretary of Bangladesh Institute of Planners, Akhter Mahmud, said Bangladesh is a densely populated area and open spaces are rare in the cities to take shelter during the quakes. “Dhaka and other cities of the country were not built in a planned way. So, the effect of any strong earthquake would be more destructive in Bangladesh.” he said.
“With a catastrophe like earthquake knocking at the door, we cannot remain dormant. Still we are not aware about the safety measures. We don’t know what to do to save ourselves before and after the earthquakes. Unless, we start our preparations to face the disasters, we have to pay high price for that,” he added.
