Cyclonic storm 'Bijli' strikes coastal areas
Saturday, 18 April 2009
COX'S BAZAR, Apr 17 (UNB): Cyclone 'Bijli' started pounding on offshore islands Friday night stretching from Sitakunda to St Martin with a wind speed of 100 kms per hour.
St Martin Union Chairman Moulvi Firoz Khan told the news agency that the storm started sweeping over the country's lone coral island from 8:00pm.
The offshore unions of Madarbari and Dalghata under Moheshkhali started bearing the brunt of the storm where the islanders suddenly caught by the storm were screaming.
Meanwhile, BSS from Chittagong adds: As the cyclonic storm, Bijli, is gaining strength and approaching rapidly towards the Bangladesh coast, both public and private organisations have already started taking all possible preparations since Friday morning to face any eventuality of the natural disaster.
The operational activities of the country's prime seaport, Chittagong Port, have been suspended for an indefinite period as part of its preparation to avert the consequences of the disaster, port officials said.
Besides, flight operations at Chittagong International Airport were suspended from 4:00 pm Friday to 10:00am today (Saturday) in fear of any probable damage to be caused by Bijli.
District administration as well as upazila administrations along the coastal belt, Chittagong Port Authority (CPA), Chittagong City Corporation (CCC), Fire Brigade Department and Cyclone Preparedness Programme (CPP) of Bangladesh Red Crescent Society chalked out their respective departmental programmes of precautionary measures.
The port officials said 22 vessels berthed at the port jetties already moved to the outer anchorage while light and coaster vessels now in port navigation channel were also asked to take shelter at safer places like upper stream of the river Karnaphuli.
As the cyclonic storm intensified further forcing the authorities to raise the danger signal 7 from earlier 4, the CPA put under suspension the cargo handling activities at both the outer anchorage and the port jetties since Friday morning.
As part of the CPA's cyclone disaster preparedness plan, its advisory committee and standing committee held a number of meetings since Thursday night with its Chairman Commodore R U Ahmed presiding over.
CPA opened three control rooms, ordered all of its employees to stay in offices and keep open all educational institutions under its jurisdiction as part of the precautionary measures.
Meanwhile, the port city and different parts of the district witnessed a gloomy weather coupled with drizzling intermittently since Thursday midnight.
The district administration and the Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) have opened separate control rooms to coordinate and monitor the evacuation and other measures to this effect.
Deputy Commissioner of Chittagong Farid Uddin Ahmed said that they had already directed the upazila administrations to evacuate the people from vulnerable areas to cyclone shelters and other safe establishments.
"We also asked the local administration to keep adequate dry foods and other logistics under their possession to tackle the situation," he said.
At an emergency meeting held here Friday afternoon, the DC said around 14,000 volunteers had already begun their precautionary work including massive campaign through loud speakers along the coastal belt of the city and the district.
The meeting was informed that 458 cyclone shelters were prepared to accommodate the evacuated people while 328 medical teams, two navy ships, adequate quantity of drinking water and dry foods were put in place to face any eventuality. About 50 trucks have been kept standby for use in the evacuation drives.
Officials of Bangladesh Red Crescent Society's Cyclone Preparedness Programme said their volunteers in six coastal upazilas were carrying out massive awareness campaign asking the people to take shelters at safer places.
Cox's Bazar Deputy Commissioner Manzur Alam Bhuiyan said that about 4,500 volunteers have been carrying out massive awareness campaign in six upazilas of the district requesting people to take shelters at safer places and working closely with local administration in intensifying the evacuation drives.
In Barisal, district and police administrations have taken several precautionary measures for protecting lives and properties from the cyclone 'Bijli' already formed over the Bay of Bengal Thursday evening.
An emergency meeting of the district administrations was held here Thursday with the Deputy Commissioner Mashiur Rahman in the chair. Public representatives, government officials and important local bodies took part in the meeting.
The meeting asked the concerned officials and authorities to take necessary steps for public awareness for saving lives and properties from the possible attacks of the 'Bijli'. A total of 11 control rooms have been opened in the district.
The authorities already have started to aware public about the 'Bijli' through miking since Friday noon in all 10 upazilas of the districts. Besides, mosque representatives have been asked to announce the advent of the cyclone loudly through their loud speakers set up for 'Azan' at the time of hitting the district by the cyclone.
St Martin Union Chairman Moulvi Firoz Khan told the news agency that the storm started sweeping over the country's lone coral island from 8:00pm.
The offshore unions of Madarbari and Dalghata under Moheshkhali started bearing the brunt of the storm where the islanders suddenly caught by the storm were screaming.
Meanwhile, BSS from Chittagong adds: As the cyclonic storm, Bijli, is gaining strength and approaching rapidly towards the Bangladesh coast, both public and private organisations have already started taking all possible preparations since Friday morning to face any eventuality of the natural disaster.
The operational activities of the country's prime seaport, Chittagong Port, have been suspended for an indefinite period as part of its preparation to avert the consequences of the disaster, port officials said.
Besides, flight operations at Chittagong International Airport were suspended from 4:00 pm Friday to 10:00am today (Saturday) in fear of any probable damage to be caused by Bijli.
District administration as well as upazila administrations along the coastal belt, Chittagong Port Authority (CPA), Chittagong City Corporation (CCC), Fire Brigade Department and Cyclone Preparedness Programme (CPP) of Bangladesh Red Crescent Society chalked out their respective departmental programmes of precautionary measures.
The port officials said 22 vessels berthed at the port jetties already moved to the outer anchorage while light and coaster vessels now in port navigation channel were also asked to take shelter at safer places like upper stream of the river Karnaphuli.
As the cyclonic storm intensified further forcing the authorities to raise the danger signal 7 from earlier 4, the CPA put under suspension the cargo handling activities at both the outer anchorage and the port jetties since Friday morning.
As part of the CPA's cyclone disaster preparedness plan, its advisory committee and standing committee held a number of meetings since Thursday night with its Chairman Commodore R U Ahmed presiding over.
CPA opened three control rooms, ordered all of its employees to stay in offices and keep open all educational institutions under its jurisdiction as part of the precautionary measures.
Meanwhile, the port city and different parts of the district witnessed a gloomy weather coupled with drizzling intermittently since Thursday midnight.
The district administration and the Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) have opened separate control rooms to coordinate and monitor the evacuation and other measures to this effect.
Deputy Commissioner of Chittagong Farid Uddin Ahmed said that they had already directed the upazila administrations to evacuate the people from vulnerable areas to cyclone shelters and other safe establishments.
"We also asked the local administration to keep adequate dry foods and other logistics under their possession to tackle the situation," he said.
At an emergency meeting held here Friday afternoon, the DC said around 14,000 volunteers had already begun their precautionary work including massive campaign through loud speakers along the coastal belt of the city and the district.
The meeting was informed that 458 cyclone shelters were prepared to accommodate the evacuated people while 328 medical teams, two navy ships, adequate quantity of drinking water and dry foods were put in place to face any eventuality. About 50 trucks have been kept standby for use in the evacuation drives.
Officials of Bangladesh Red Crescent Society's Cyclone Preparedness Programme said their volunteers in six coastal upazilas were carrying out massive awareness campaign asking the people to take shelters at safer places.
Cox's Bazar Deputy Commissioner Manzur Alam Bhuiyan said that about 4,500 volunteers have been carrying out massive awareness campaign in six upazilas of the district requesting people to take shelters at safer places and working closely with local administration in intensifying the evacuation drives.
In Barisal, district and police administrations have taken several precautionary measures for protecting lives and properties from the cyclone 'Bijli' already formed over the Bay of Bengal Thursday evening.
An emergency meeting of the district administrations was held here Thursday with the Deputy Commissioner Mashiur Rahman in the chair. Public representatives, government officials and important local bodies took part in the meeting.
The meeting asked the concerned officials and authorities to take necessary steps for public awareness for saving lives and properties from the possible attacks of the 'Bijli'. A total of 11 control rooms have been opened in the district.
The authorities already have started to aware public about the 'Bijli' through miking since Friday noon in all 10 upazilas of the districts. Besides, mosque representatives have been asked to announce the advent of the cyclone loudly through their loud speakers set up for 'Azan' at the time of hitting the district by the cyclone.