Govt prepares �earthquake risk map� for nine cities
The government has prepared an earthquake risk map for nine big cities in the country highlighting the danger level and other related factors such as the quality of soil. The cities prone to earthquake risk are Dhaka, Sylhet, Chittagong, Mymensingh, Tangail, Bogra, Rangpur, Rajshahi and Dinajpur. The authorities concerned will test the intensity level of earthquake and examine the quality of soil to determine ability to withstand the magnitude of tremor. The government has a plan to train 62,000 city volunteers, who can quickly respond to post-disaster rescue operations. Of them, 30,000 have already been trained, Relief and Disaster Management Minister Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya said while inaugurating a national workshop on disaster reduction risk and climate change adaptation in the city yesterday. The Comprehensive Disaster Management Programme (CDMP) organised the workshop at Khamarbari. Among others, secretary of the disaster management and relief ministry Shah Kamal, deputy chief of the Norwegian embassy in Dhaka Henoric Width, UNDP country director Polin Temesisi, director general of disaster management directorate Riaz Ahmed and Abdul Qayum of CDMP also spoke at the workshop. The trained volunteers have taken part in various rescue operations, including at the devastated site of Rana Plaza collapse, Maya said. The government has already implemented several risk reduction schemes for rural people in 312 union parishads under 108 upazila in 40 districts of the country, he added. The schemes include raising the plinth level of homes, building roads and sinking tube-wells in coastal areas. The government has taken the initiatives to protect the rural people from tidal surge or floods and other natural calamities, he added. The speakers stressed the need for creating awareness among the people on natural disasters.
