Editorial
How prepared are we for a dual-shock?
If earthquake and tsunami hit Bangladesh
The two quakes that occurred off the coast of Sumatra on April 11 sent mental shockwaves for millions of people in Bangladesh. What is commendable is the manner in which the Indonesian early warning system alerted people of the need to initiate orderly withdrawal to safer grounds as the danger approached. Thanks to proper dissemination of information and public awareness, Indonesian authorities were in effect able to avoid mass hysteria, which if it had occurred would inevitably have complicated matters for an orderly evacuation.
Despite the fact that the tsunami alerts have been lifted across ASEAN and South Asia, questions have come to the forefront about precisely where Bangladesh stands in terms of preparedness should a tsunami or an earthquake followed by tsunami occur off our coasts. Thousands of people were found to be spilling on to the streets as a means of getting out of concrete structures in the hope of finding safety. Though the government is apparently training a core force of thousands of volunteers to help out in post-disaster relief operations, essential equipment like cranes and equipment to locate people trapped under rubble are still on the drawing board.
The building authority RAJUK remains oblivious to the fact that buildings, both new and old, need to be made earthquake proof. And while awareness building is undoubtedly a prerequisite to getting people to safety in the initial phase of such a calamity, what comes afterwards will require massive coordination efforts amongst different government agencies. For all the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle to fall into place at the time of a quake or a tsunami or both require long-term planning coupled with massive drills to occur at regular intervals. That is a very tall order, but it can be done if the political will to make it happen is there.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel.
Comments