The government in collaboration with the country's development partners has launched a project to prepare geological maps of Dhaka, Chittagong and Sylhet for identifying the most earthquake vulnerable areas in the cities, a senior official said Tuesday.
"We have planned to complete the seismic micronisation mapping under the project by February, 2009," director general of the government's Disaster Management Bureau KHM Masud Siddiquie, said at a press conference in the city.
By August 2009, he added, people in the capital would be able to know which of the Dhaka's 90 wards are vulnerable.
The vulnerability will be determined on the basis of soil pattern. "Compact land areas will be relatively less vulnerable," he said.
Studies will be carried out under the project, he said, on ways of minimising casualties if any Tsunami occurs in the country's coastal areas as a result of earthquake.
"We will arrange training courses for senior officials of the government, students, imams of mosque and people in general to disseminate information about the preventive measures." Mr. Siddiquie said.
Under the project, he said, the Bureau will publish handbooks, leaflets, posters and screen educational and films to create awareness among the people on the preventive measures to be undertaken during such a disaster.
The project titled ' Comprehensive Disaster Management Programme (CDPM) that is being implemented in collaboration with United Nations Development Fund, DFID and European Union will engage over 600 volunteers to support rescue works when required.
Answering a question, Mr. Siddique said steps are under way for building the capacity of concerned government bodies through providing required manpower and modern equipment.
"Two more proposals on procurement of equipment for search and rescue drive after earthquake and any other natural disasters are at the final stage."
ASM Maksud Kamal, national expert on earthquake and Tsunami preparedness, said the risks of earthquake should be assessed on the basis of intensity rather than magnitude reflected in Richter scale.
"If source of origin of an earth quake is close to Dhaka, its effect will be higher. So it's a matter of intensity not magnitude in Richter scale."
In the last 150 years, two massive earthquakes of over 7.5 magnitude in Richter scale hit the country, one of which was in 1885 and the other in 1918.
Apart from this, every year earth quakes of around 4-6 magnitudes in Richter scale jolts the country's different areas.
Govt moves to prepare maps of quake-prone areas
FE Report | Published: July 30, 2008 00:00:00 | Updated: February 01, 2018 00:00:00
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