Disaster Management
Tk 458cr project on the cards
Armed Forces Div to implement
JAGARAN CHAKMA
In a bid to strengthen the emergency communication system during disasters, the government has undertaken a TK458cr project to be implemented by the Armed Forces Division (AFD).
The Prime Ministers Office (PMO), on July 16, asked the Planning Commission to approve a preliminary development project proposal (PDPP) of the project titled disaster response emergency communication system (DRECS).
The AFD under the PMO will implement the two-year project scheduled to end in June, 2018.
According to the PDPP, the project would provide an office and communications platform capable of moving into a disaster-affected area on short notice.
Army, Navy and Air Force personnel deployed at the sub-district level engage in relief operations during disasters. A monitoring cell is established to coordinate with all ministries of the government, including the ministries of foreign affairs, home affairs, civil aviation and tourism, disaster management and relief, health, and of course, the neighbouring armed forces. The AFD provides a number of services to the affected population, such as transporting relief goods by Air Force assets from Dhaka, transporting relief goods in affected districts by road and river routes using Army, Navy and Civil assets, augmenting civil healthcare services by medical teams of the Armed Forces, clearing of roads and restoration of road communications, and assisting in restoration of telecommunications.
The AFD also ensures the facilities in the integration of response works among participants of the National Disaster Response Integration Group, by mobilising the telecommunications network and dispatching telecom networks to disaster-affected areas. Under the project, AFD will install 172 Emergency Response Vehicles (ERV) in every cantonment, each carrying e-NodeB with infrastructural support, the project proposal said.
It will supply communication devices such as LTE-enabled handsets, CPE, USB dongles, and SIM cards. Besides, it will install multiplexers and supply 132 prime movers (cabin pickups) for emergency vehicles. The PDPP also said it would provide telecommunication facilities to all stakeholders involved in disaster management when local infrastructure or systems are not available.
There will be emergency response coverage throughout the country. But the equipment and systems would be installed and concentrated in 12 zones: Dhaka, Savar, Ghatail, Jessore, Comilla, Bogra, Rangpur, Chittagong, Ramu, Sylhet, Rajbari and Barisal.
It would help bring in state-of-the-art technologies to provide voice, data and video services through high-speed broadband to all stakeholders, such as rescue teams and monitoring cells, among others. The PDPP explained that disaster emergency communications (DECs) is a specialised field within the broader field of emergency communications.
Because of its geophysical location, topography and high population density, Bangladesh is at risk of recurring natural and human-induced hazards, with an average 10 million people affected every year. Frequent floods, cyclones, riverbank erosion, waterlogging, droughts, and tornadoes significantly disrupt Bangladeshs economy and the lives and livelihoods of its population, the project proposal said.
As a basis of the action matrix under the National Plan for Disaster Management (NPDM), Strengthening Institutional Mechanism, Strengthening Emergency Response System, and Developing and Strengthening Regional and Global Network were included among its seven objectives.
Under this backdrop, as a part of restoring telecommunication services in the quickest possible time during a severe disaster, the Army plans to build a wireless network, which will work mainly as a backup for existing GSM, CDMA and WCDMA networks, the project proposal added.
Emergency communications cover all technical means and modes for public safety agencies at all levels of the government (e.g. law enforcement, fire services, emergency medical services).
The field of DECs is applicable to technical means and modes required to provide and maintain operable and interoperable communications before, during, and after declared emergencies, disasters, or any special national security events.
Emergency communications covers all technical means and modes for public safety agencies at all levels of government (e.g. law enforcement, fire services, emergency medical services) to perform their routine, daily communications.
