COX’S BAZAR, May 2, 2019 (BSS) – Local administration in the district has taken all-out preparation to face ‘Fani’ as the super cyclonic storm continues to move towards the country’s coastal belt.
Aiming to minimise the loss and damage in the upcoming cyclonic storm, the Cox’s Bazar District Administration today held a preparatory meeting at the Deputy Commissioner’s Office here to address the cyclone.
Chaired by acting Deputy Commissioner Md Ashraful Afsar, the meeting was attended by officials of different public agencies and representatives from non-government organisations and humanitarian agencies.
During the meeting, it was informed that about 6,450 volunteers are ready to address Fani in Cox’s Bazar under 430 units of the Cyclone Preparedness Programme (CPP). Besides, about 1,700 volunteers of the Red Crescent Society also get prepared to deal with the consequence of the cyclone.
Ashraful said a total of 89 medical teams of Cox’s Bazar Civil Surgeon Office are ready with necessary medicine to address the disaster situation after the Fani hits the county’s coastal region.
Six units of the Fire Service and Civil Defense and six teams of Power Division will also work in this regard, he said, adding a total of 538 cyclone shelter centres have been prepared to save the lives and prosperities from the cyclone.
The acting deputy commissioner said all the upazila nirbahi officers of the district have been instructed to take necessary preparedness to address the upcoming cyclonic storm.
“Special measures have been taken in Rohingya camps in Ukhia and Teknaf to deal with the cyclone,” he said.
Meanwhile, the maritime ports of Mongla and Payra have been advised to hoist danger signal number seven and Chattogram Port has been asked to hoist danger signal number six as the very severe cyclonic storm “Fani” lies over the West-central Bay and adjoining area.
Besides, the Cox’s Bazar port has been advised to keep hoisting local warning signal number four, said a special weather bulletin.
“The very severe cyclonic storm over the West-central Bay and adjoining area moved north-northeastwards further over the same area,” said the bulletin.
It was centred at 9 am today about 1065 km southwest of Chattogram Port, 1,025 km southwest of Cox’s Bazar Port, 915 km southwest of Mongla Port and 925 km southwest of Payra Port.
It is likely to intensify further, move to a north-northeasterly direction, cross Odisha coast of India and then moved north-northeasterly direction further over Odisha-West Bengal coastal area, reach Khulna and adjoining southwestern part of Bangladesh by tomorrow evening (May 03).