Risky houses can be made risk-free thru' retrofitting: Razzak
Sunday, 18 July 2010
Food and Disaster Management Minister Abdur Razzak Saturday said a total of 72,000 houses and establishments in the city have been detected to be risky for earthquake, which are feared to be damaged with an earthquake of 7.5 on the Richter scale, reports BSS.
He said these establishments could be made risk-free through retrofitting and a disciplined force like scouts could play an effective role in creating awareness among the owners of these establishments for making the buildings risk-free.
The minister said this while inaugurating as the chief guest a training programme titled "Scouting in Disaster Management" held at the Shams Auditorium at the Bangladesh Scouts headquarters in the city.
Mr Abdur Razzak said the government has taken steps to make two buildings at the Bangladesh secretariat and the Dhaka Medical College Hospital risk-free through retrofitting.
The government has given much emphasis on reducing risk in case of any disaster like earthquake, he said.
Mentioning that post disaster relief programmes were taken as the main strategy of disaster management in the past, he said the present government considers that the casualties from disaster could be minimised to a tolerable level through creating awareness among the people on facing calamities and also by raising skill of the concerned.
He said the casualties from SIDR and Aila were much less than those during 1970 and 1991 cyclones due to awareness raising.
"Although the intensity of recent earthquake in Chile was much higher than that of in Haiti, the casualties in Chile were much less as precautionary measures in Chile were better than that of Haiti," he said.
Highlighting the role of volunteers under Cyclone Preparedness Programme (CPP) at coastal belt he said if scouts also work with volunteers, then casualties could be minimised to a large extent.
He urged the scouts to spread scouting movement across the country.
President of National Committee on Emergency Aid Md Mahfuzur Rahman chaired the function.
Among others, Chief National Commissioner of Bangladesh Scouts Md Abul Kalam Azad and Deputy Commissioner Md Abdul Wajed spoke on the occasion.
A total of 60 scouts are taking part at the training programme on disaster management and 11 similar trainings would be organised in future.
He said these establishments could be made risk-free through retrofitting and a disciplined force like scouts could play an effective role in creating awareness among the owners of these establishments for making the buildings risk-free.
The minister said this while inaugurating as the chief guest a training programme titled "Scouting in Disaster Management" held at the Shams Auditorium at the Bangladesh Scouts headquarters in the city.
Mr Abdur Razzak said the government has taken steps to make two buildings at the Bangladesh secretariat and the Dhaka Medical College Hospital risk-free through retrofitting.
The government has given much emphasis on reducing risk in case of any disaster like earthquake, he said.
Mentioning that post disaster relief programmes were taken as the main strategy of disaster management in the past, he said the present government considers that the casualties from disaster could be minimised to a tolerable level through creating awareness among the people on facing calamities and also by raising skill of the concerned.
He said the casualties from SIDR and Aila were much less than those during 1970 and 1991 cyclones due to awareness raising.
"Although the intensity of recent earthquake in Chile was much higher than that of in Haiti, the casualties in Chile were much less as precautionary measures in Chile were better than that of Haiti," he said.
Highlighting the role of volunteers under Cyclone Preparedness Programme (CPP) at coastal belt he said if scouts also work with volunteers, then casualties could be minimised to a large extent.
He urged the scouts to spread scouting movement across the country.
President of National Committee on Emergency Aid Md Mahfuzur Rahman chaired the function.
Among others, Chief National Commissioner of Bangladesh Scouts Md Abul Kalam Azad and Deputy Commissioner Md Abdul Wajed spoke on the occasion.
A total of 60 scouts are taking part at the training programme on disaster management and 11 similar trainings would be organised in future.