Editorial
Cyclone Nargis
Let's stay prepared to meet any eventuality
THEORETICALLY, the danger of cyclone Nargis striking our coastal areas cannot be ruled out as the cyclone took a north-easterly course yesterday but was around 1,000km away from Chittagong coast. The cyclone gathered a wind speed of up to 120kmph within the 54km radius of its centre and was termed a severe cyclonic storm by the weather experts who, however, were not sure as yet of the extent of the danger it posed to our coasts.
The people in the vulnerable coastal areas have to remain prepared for any eventuality. It will really be a tough job for the people to face yet another natural disaster as most of the victims of cyclone Sidr, which lashed the coastal belt in November last year, are yet to recover fully from the damage and destruction caused by it. Their concern has been greatly multiplied by the fact that any natural disaster during the ongoing boro harvest season could deal a lethal blow to the rural economy.
That said, saving human lives should always be the top priority of the local administration. All the more so, because it is generally felt that many lives were lost when Sidr struck as people were either not sufficiently alerted or they did not heed the warnings issued by the local administration and the weather department. The sad truth that transpired is that a large number of people started moving towards the cyclone shelters only when it was too late. What nobody would like to see is a repetition of the same costly mistake. A well planned and organised evacuation drive must be placed in readiness. Reports from coastal districts indicate that the local administrations are taking due preparations to evacuate people. However, government and NGO local offices should see to it that people are alerted and taken to cyclone shelters before the calamity strikes.
People have to live with natural disasters which are unavoidable, but it is also true that such disasters are not unpredictable and timely evacuation and rescue operations will keep the losses at a bare minimum. We must strive to achieve that goal.
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