16m people under risk in event of any tsunami

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BARISAL, Sep 22 (UNB): An estimated 16 million people in the country's coastal and offshore areas could come under risk in the event of any tsunami surging up to here, but there aren't adequate shelter-centres for their safety, competent sources said.
In the wake of rising incidence of natural calamity across the world, mainly under the impact of global warming, officials and local leaders have started calculating the risk side and risk-management measures that have to be in place.
The recent tsunami alerts in the country, following an undersea quake and aftershocks in Indonesia, exposed a lack of preparedness in terms of safe shelter. Most people of these areas failed to find shelter where they would have been safe if tsunami surges had really hit Bangladesh coast.
A large number of people become helpless during the period of danger amid natural disasters like cyclones, hurricane or others because of shortage of shelter-centres. And now emerged a new phenomenon--tsunami-to pose an additional risk.
According to the Cyclone Preparedness Programme office of Barisal, 16 million people live in 13,500 square-kilometre areas in 147 upazilas of 19 districts along Bangladesh's coastline.
"These areas are identified as 'high-risk cyclone-prone area (HRCP)' and they need 22,150 shelter-houses as one protection house can accommodate eight hundred people on an average," said one source.
But, at present, there are only 2,400 shelter-houses that can accommodate 1,920,000 people.
Of these 2,400 cyclone shelters, 401 are now usable in Cox's Bazar, 161 in Patuakhali, 42 in Barguna, 26 in Jhalakati, 62 in Barisal, 31 in Pirojpur, 198 in Noakhali, 106 in Feni, 7 in Bagerhat, 28 in Satkhira, 152 in Bhola, 497 in Chittagong and 34 in Khulna district.
The rest about 700 centres constructed in 1965, 1972-79 are no longer useable for lack of proper maintenance.
After the recent tsunami alerts, on September 12, it was found that for 104,000 inhabitants of Manpura Upazila of the island-district Bhola, there were only 28 cyclone shelters and 2 mud-houses capable of sheltering only 24,000 people.
In Charfassion Upazila of this district, there are only 15 cyclone-shelters and 18 mud-built houses for the 415,520 inhabitants while only 20 cyclone shelters in Patharghata Upazila of Barguna district for 245,000 people.
The worst situation is prevailing in different shoals and islands like Char Nizam with one cyclone shelter for 6 thousand people, in Nizhum Dwip 4 cyclone shelters for 20 thousand people, in Dublar Char 4 cyclone shelters for 50 thousand people.
Kuakata cyclone centre is used as LGED rest house and not open for the public even at the time of disaster. Many cyclone centres are used as cattle sheds or primary schools, said the sources.
Some cyclone centres in the remote shoal areas of Bhola, Barguna, Patuakhali and Laxmipur districts are reportedly being used by miscreants as their dens for smuggling or as drug-trade centres.