Coping with life after the cyclone
Wednesday, 21 November 2007
Syed Fattahul Alim
AFTER the two floods in August and September, the month of November has brought still worse news for Bangladesh. Cyclone Sidr, the pelagic visitor from the Bay, which in Sri Lankan language means eye or hole, has laid the coastal belt to waste, especially in the south-western region of Bangladesh. Considering the severity of the cyclone that battered the south-western districts out of recognition, it is still too early to give any exact estimate of the havoc wrought on the population, livestock, animal life, sylvan and other resources.
According to the latest estimate, the death count has already crossed the 3,000. The death figure is usually based on the number of corpses recovered from the areas struck by the calamity. For initially it is not possible to know how many people have gone missing and how many of them are dead. On the basis of the reports from the survivors on their missing relatives, friends and acquaintances, it is possible to reach a notional assessment of the magnitude of the destruction in terms of human life. The Red Crescent, on the other hand, says, the death figure may come to as high as 10,000.
However, Bangladesh has experienced more devastating seaborne visitations in the past when the early warning system was not as advanced as it is today. The just-passed cyclone harks back to another cataclysm 37 years ago that had caught the coastal districts of the country quite unawares. Though the exact toll of life that fearsome cyclone accompanied by tidal bore had claimed could never be known with exactitude, the popular estimate of the figure ranged from one million to half a million. Thursday's cataclysm could have taken still heavier toll of life, had the government and the people of the affected areas not been provided with advanced information on Sidr, its nature and movement long before it crashed against the shores of Bangladesh.
But in spite of the advance knowledge of storms, cyclones, hurricanes, typhoons and other kinds of meteorological phenomena emerging from the sea, man is still largely helpless against the fury of nature. With the increasing death count and other collateral damage, one may tend to reach the conclusion that Bangladesh could have faced the calamity with better preparation as well as keep the magnitude of destruction within manageable limit, if it was further advanced in the technological sense of the term and even richer. The notion is not wholly true. Bangladesh is itself a glaring instance of facing the furies of nature with virtually bare hands as it is poor both in terms of riches and technology. But such limitations notwithstanding, it has been facing recurrent floods, droughts, storms and cyclones with equanimity.
There is, however, no cause for complacency in our case, especially in view of the preparations taken by the government and the people in the face of the disaster. But it needs also to be recognised in a similar vein that natural phenomena like cyclones have no completely technological answer either. The truth of this assertion has been amply demonstrated by the way the most technologically advanced country on earth faced the hurricane Katrina. The American experience has laid bare the myth of technology and wealth in the face of natural calamities. In fact, preparedness of the people against such disasters is the strongest bulwark against catastrophes of natural origin. Technology and riches are definitely a big advantage to augment man's capacity to fight natural calamities, but they are pointless in absence of a community to put them to good use. Bangladesh is lucky compared to even the richest and technologically superior nation like America in that communal bond among the local people here is very strong contributing to their resilience in fighting natural calamities.
The immediate aftermath of cyclone Sidr is the trail of devastation it has left in its wake. The death toll estimated as of Sunday last was over 3,500 persons. Of the dead, the highest numbers have been reported from Borguna at 971 and Bagerhat at 969. The cyclone has literally flattened the char areas of Patuakhali such as Char Laxmi, Char Kashem, Char Bangla and Char Anda. According to the latest report over 650 people were killed in those Char areas. The river shoals have become flattened and desolate. The few survivors there have no shelter, drinking water, food or medicine to guard against waterborne diseases such as diarrhoea, cholera, typhoid and so on. In Borguna district some 3,000 people have gone missing after the storm. Roads, power lines and water supply in these areas have been seriously disrupted. Similar reports are also coming from Jhalakathi district in greater Barisal district.
The Armed Forces Division, which is coordinating emergency relief and rescue operations in the cyclone-hit areas, at a press briefing on Sunday said, the official death figure increased to 2,700. About the damage to crops, it said, crops over 237,000 hectares of cropland in 11 districts have been completely destroyed. The Armed forces Division has identified seven districts in the southern region as the worst affected areas where more than 2, 000 people have reportedly died.
The world's biggest mangrove forest, the Sunderbans, has borne the brunt of the cyclone. A 20 kilometres long stretch of the Sundarban has been decimated by the cyclone, killing thousands of birds and other animals. The condition of Sunderban's pride, the Royal Bengal Tiger, is yet to be assessed. But despite the huge damage the cyclone has inflicted on this mangrove forest, it must also to be recognised that it is this forest that has worked as the cushion to soften the impact of the storm on the local human settlements. The dreadful cyclone has again proved that without forestlands like the Sunderbans the coastal districts of the country would be completely exposed to the full fury of the cyclones, hurricanes, storm surges and other destructive forces coming from the Bay.
With the passing of days, more accurate figures on death and destruction will be available. The media will put out more heart-rending stories on human tragedy, on sacrifices as well as those on courage in the face of the wrath of the Elements. But in spite of their appeals, the real challenge will begin when the survivors would take stock of the whole situation and try to rebuild their life from the ruins. That would all also be the time when the authorities would be put through their paces.
The challenge is huge. Thousands of families are in need of immediate relief as well as rehabilitation. Approaching winter will be another threat before the people rendered homeless and stripped of whatever assets they possessed. According to unofficial estimates, the cyclone-inflicted damage to the economy would be around Tk.100 billion. The hope that after the harvest of Aman paddy, the price spiral of essentials could be tamed to some degree is vanishing fast after the storm. As noted earlier, the storm has caused heavy damage to crops in 11 southern districts. The prospect of boro is now highly contingent upon how fast and better the cyclone-hit farmers are rehabilitated and provided with necessary farm inputs as well as financial assistance. Emergency food stock will have to be built. The government has already announced its plan to procure 200, 000 tons of rice. The donor community, too, has made an initial pledge of about two billion taka to get over the crisis. These are, of course, heartening pieces of news. But what is more important at the moment is to draw, as before, on the real strength of the people through mobilisation of the community. It is hoped that the authorities would be able to achieve that feat, too, despite the restriction on open political activities in the country.
AFTER the two floods in August and September, the month of November has brought still worse news for Bangladesh. Cyclone Sidr, the pelagic visitor from the Bay, which in Sri Lankan language means eye or hole, has laid the coastal belt to waste, especially in the south-western region of Bangladesh. Considering the severity of the cyclone that battered the south-western districts out of recognition, it is still too early to give any exact estimate of the havoc wrought on the population, livestock, animal life, sylvan and other resources.
According to the latest estimate, the death count has already crossed the 3,000. The death figure is usually based on the number of corpses recovered from the areas struck by the calamity. For initially it is not possible to know how many people have gone missing and how many of them are dead. On the basis of the reports from the survivors on their missing relatives, friends and acquaintances, it is possible to reach a notional assessment of the magnitude of the destruction in terms of human life. The Red Crescent, on the other hand, says, the death figure may come to as high as 10,000.
However, Bangladesh has experienced more devastating seaborne visitations in the past when the early warning system was not as advanced as it is today. The just-passed cyclone harks back to another cataclysm 37 years ago that had caught the coastal districts of the country quite unawares. Though the exact toll of life that fearsome cyclone accompanied by tidal bore had claimed could never be known with exactitude, the popular estimate of the figure ranged from one million to half a million. Thursday's cataclysm could have taken still heavier toll of life, had the government and the people of the affected areas not been provided with advanced information on Sidr, its nature and movement long before it crashed against the shores of Bangladesh.
But in spite of the advance knowledge of storms, cyclones, hurricanes, typhoons and other kinds of meteorological phenomena emerging from the sea, man is still largely helpless against the fury of nature. With the increasing death count and other collateral damage, one may tend to reach the conclusion that Bangladesh could have faced the calamity with better preparation as well as keep the magnitude of destruction within manageable limit, if it was further advanced in the technological sense of the term and even richer. The notion is not wholly true. Bangladesh is itself a glaring instance of facing the furies of nature with virtually bare hands as it is poor both in terms of riches and technology. But such limitations notwithstanding, it has been facing recurrent floods, droughts, storms and cyclones with equanimity.
There is, however, no cause for complacency in our case, especially in view of the preparations taken by the government and the people in the face of the disaster. But it needs also to be recognised in a similar vein that natural phenomena like cyclones have no completely technological answer either. The truth of this assertion has been amply demonstrated by the way the most technologically advanced country on earth faced the hurricane Katrina. The American experience has laid bare the myth of technology and wealth in the face of natural calamities. In fact, preparedness of the people against such disasters is the strongest bulwark against catastrophes of natural origin. Technology and riches are definitely a big advantage to augment man's capacity to fight natural calamities, but they are pointless in absence of a community to put them to good use. Bangladesh is lucky compared to even the richest and technologically superior nation like America in that communal bond among the local people here is very strong contributing to their resilience in fighting natural calamities.
The immediate aftermath of cyclone Sidr is the trail of devastation it has left in its wake. The death toll estimated as of Sunday last was over 3,500 persons. Of the dead, the highest numbers have been reported from Borguna at 971 and Bagerhat at 969. The cyclone has literally flattened the char areas of Patuakhali such as Char Laxmi, Char Kashem, Char Bangla and Char Anda. According to the latest report over 650 people were killed in those Char areas. The river shoals have become flattened and desolate. The few survivors there have no shelter, drinking water, food or medicine to guard against waterborne diseases such as diarrhoea, cholera, typhoid and so on. In Borguna district some 3,000 people have gone missing after the storm. Roads, power lines and water supply in these areas have been seriously disrupted. Similar reports are also coming from Jhalakathi district in greater Barisal district.
The Armed Forces Division, which is coordinating emergency relief and rescue operations in the cyclone-hit areas, at a press briefing on Sunday said, the official death figure increased to 2,700. About the damage to crops, it said, crops over 237,000 hectares of cropland in 11 districts have been completely destroyed. The Armed forces Division has identified seven districts in the southern region as the worst affected areas where more than 2, 000 people have reportedly died.
The world's biggest mangrove forest, the Sunderbans, has borne the brunt of the cyclone. A 20 kilometres long stretch of the Sundarban has been decimated by the cyclone, killing thousands of birds and other animals. The condition of Sunderban's pride, the Royal Bengal Tiger, is yet to be assessed. But despite the huge damage the cyclone has inflicted on this mangrove forest, it must also to be recognised that it is this forest that has worked as the cushion to soften the impact of the storm on the local human settlements. The dreadful cyclone has again proved that without forestlands like the Sunderbans the coastal districts of the country would be completely exposed to the full fury of the cyclones, hurricanes, storm surges and other destructive forces coming from the Bay.
With the passing of days, more accurate figures on death and destruction will be available. The media will put out more heart-rending stories on human tragedy, on sacrifices as well as those on courage in the face of the wrath of the Elements. But in spite of their appeals, the real challenge will begin when the survivors would take stock of the whole situation and try to rebuild their life from the ruins. That would all also be the time when the authorities would be put through their paces.
The challenge is huge. Thousands of families are in need of immediate relief as well as rehabilitation. Approaching winter will be another threat before the people rendered homeless and stripped of whatever assets they possessed. According to unofficial estimates, the cyclone-inflicted damage to the economy would be around Tk.100 billion. The hope that after the harvest of Aman paddy, the price spiral of essentials could be tamed to some degree is vanishing fast after the storm. As noted earlier, the storm has caused heavy damage to crops in 11 southern districts. The prospect of boro is now highly contingent upon how fast and better the cyclone-hit farmers are rehabilitated and provided with necessary farm inputs as well as financial assistance. Emergency food stock will have to be built. The government has already announced its plan to procure 200, 000 tons of rice. The donor community, too, has made an initial pledge of about two billion taka to get over the crisis. These are, of course, heartening pieces of news. But what is more important at the moment is to draw, as before, on the real strength of the people through mobilisation of the community. It is hoped that the authorities would be able to achieve that feat, too, despite the restriction on open political activities in the country.