4m coastal people at high risk of disaster

An estimated 4.0 million people in the coastal belt of Chattogram and Cox's Bazar are living at high risk of natural disasters due to inadequate cyclone shelters in the region.

The safety issue has come to the fore as the news of the latest cyclone 'Remal' has caused concerns among coastal people.

Chattogram and Cox's Bazar district administrations have taken all-out precautionary measures to save the people from the cyclone. They have already opened a round-the-clock control room.

The DC office in Cox's Bazar informed that the district administration already took steps to evacuate the people from the offshore islands, including Kutubdia, Moheshkhali and Saint Martin's.

Abul Bashar Mohammed Fakruzzaman, deputy commissioner of Chattogram, said, "We are prepared for saving lives. We have held the meetings with the UNO in Chattogram. We've opened 785 shelters. We'll monitor the situation round the clock. We sent the relief to the UNOs of the upazilas in the coastal area. The district administration took all measures for facing the cyclone."

Sources said schools are being used as cyclone shelters. People are facing troubles in taking keys of the schools from their headmasters.

So, if any natural disaster or cyclone hit Chattogram and Cox's Bazar, most of local people cannot take shelters at the prevailing cyclone shelters due to lack of space.

According to the sources, there are 880 cyclone shelters in the two districts - 418 in Chattogram and 462 in Cox's Bazar. They can accommodate over 4.0 million people of the low-lying coastal areas. Sources said there are 62 cyclone shelters in offshore island Swandip, 58 in Anwara upazila and 117 in Banshkhali upazila.

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