The Cyclone Preparedness Programme in Bangladesh, Regional

THE
Cyclone Preparedness Programme
In
Bangladesh
A.K.M. Harun-AL-Rashid
Director (Operation)
CPP, BDRCS
Rigional Course on Community Based Approaches
In Disaster Management ( CBDM-1)
ADPC, AIT, Bangkok, Thailand
10 – 21 March, 1997

Index
Sl. No. Subject Page
1. Introduction 2
2. Cyclone and Surge 2
3. Cyclone Preparedness Programme 3
4. Volunteers Organization and their Role 4
5. Management 6
6. Operational Method 7
7. Standing order for Cyclone 8
8. Training of Volunteers and Public Awareness 13
9. Telecommunication Network 14
10 Warning Equipments and
Gears for volunteers 15
11. Transport 16
Electronic Workshop and
Speed Boat Workshop 16
13. Cyclone Shelters 16
14. Finance and Resources 16
15. Conclusion 17
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1. INTRODUCTION.
Bangladesh, a small country, lies between 21 and 27 North of latitude and 88 and 92.5 East of
Longitude. Situated on the tropic of Cancer, it bears a tropical nature with monsoon-type
climate. Its small size, 55,598 square miles and large population, 120 millions, make it one of
the most densely populated countries of the world It is located in the funnel, to the north, of the
conically-shaped Bay of Bengal.
The country, the most reverine in the world with four major rivers and hundreds of tributaries
from the Sub-Continent flowing into the Bay of Bengal, is very flat but also very fertile, except
for the Hill Tracts in the south east and rises just few feet above the sea level of the Bay of
Bengal. It is very prone to natural disasters and has been repeatedly subjected to cyclones,
floods, tornados, droughts, erosion, epidemics, etc.
The country is particularly affected by cyclonic storms that come from the Bay of Bengal and
which are normally accompanied by a tidal surge. The yearly cyclone-seasons, in April-May and
October-November, are before and after the monsoon season. From 1797 to 1996, 62 major
cyclonic storms and tidal surges have hit the Bangladesh coast.
The low-lying coastal area and off-shore islands where some 11 millions people live has been
particularly affected. It is estimated that some 8 millions people live on the 710 km. Long coast
in the high risk area for cyclonic water surge.
2. CYCLONE AND SURGE
A Cyclone is a relatively small and intense low-latitude warm-core low pressure area having a
counter clockwise wind circulation in the Northern hemisphere and clockwise direction in the
Southern hemisphere.
Certain environmental conditions have been found to be pre-requisites for the organization and
development of cyclones. They are :
a) Warm Ocean temperature, A tropical Cyclone does not form if the sea temperature is less
Than 27 celsius.
b) Presence of low pressure region.
c) Absence of strong vertical wind shear.
d) Presence of a certain value of coriolis force appears at the latitude greater than 5 degrees
Which gives the cyclone its rotational/spinning motion.
Cyclones in the Bay of Bengal mostly originate over the South Bay and the Andaman Sea. The
area of lowest pressure in a cyclone built-up is called the Eye of the cyclone. It is found well
formed in the most severe cyclones.
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Cyclones in the South Asian sub-continent are classified according to their intensity and the
following nomenclatures are used :
• Depression : Winds upto 61 kms/hour
• Cyclonic storm : Winds from 62 to 87 kms/hour
• Severe Cyclonic storm : Winds from 88 to 117 kms/hour
• Severe Cyclonic storm with
Hurricane intensity : Winds above 117 kms/hour
The Cyclones are accompanied by heavy rains and swell of the sea called storm surges. Full or
new moon effects on high tides reinforce considerably the water surge that crosses the coast
when the cyclone hits.
Warning Signals
11 stages of Storm warning Signals for maritime ports and 4 stages of signals for river ports
being used in Bangladesh. These signals are used for alerting the coastal people.
3. CYCLONE PREPAREDNESS PROGRAMME
BACKGROUND
From 1960 to 1965, 9 (nine) cyclones hit the coastal belt of Bangladesh, killing over 50,000
people, alone the cyclone of 11 May 1965 took some 20,000 lives.
The idea of a Cyclone Preparedness activities started in 1965 when the National Red Cross
Society now the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society (BDRCS) requested the International
Federation (IFRC) formerly the League of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies to support the
establishment of a warning system for the population of the coastal belt. In 1966, the
International Federation and the Swedish Red Cross began the implementation of a pilot scheme
for Cyclone Preparedness which consisted of providing warning equipment such as, transistor
radio, siren etc. and training the local militia (Ansars), as the backbone of the warning and
dissemination activities. The strategy was to use the existing structure at the village level instead
of creating a new and parallel structure. From 1966, the Cyclone Warning System was
operational in 299 locations and supported by 473 team leaders.
In May 1969, the first Weather Radar Station was installed in Cox’s Bazar by the Swedish “Save
the Children Fund” in collaboration with the National Red Cross, the International Federation
and the Swedish Red Cross Society.
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On 12 and 13 of November 1970, a major cyclone hit the coastal belt with wind speed of 223
Km/hour accompanied by a storm surge of 6 to 9 meters height, killing an estimated 500,000
people and making millions homeless and totally destitute.
Following the Cyclone of 1970, the United Nations General Assembly requested the
International Federation to take a leading role in establishing and improving the Pre-disaster
planning programme of Bangladesh. The International Federation and the Bangladesh Red
Crescent undertook an extensive evaluation of the programme and drew an new strategy, which
as from February 1972 lead to the new programme consisting of 20,310 volunteers in 204
Unions of 24 Thanas and a transceiver telecommunication system (wireless transceiver radio in
22 stations).
In June 1973, the Government of Bangladesh approved the new programme and accepted the
financial responsibility for the recurring expenses and set up a joint programme management by
the creation of a Programme Policy Committee and a Programme Implementation Board.
4. VOLUNTEERS ORGANISATION
AND THEIR ROLE
The Cyclone Preparedness Programmee (CPP) is organized in 258 Unions of 30 Thanas divided
into 2733 units. Each unit serves 1 or 2 village with an approximately population of 2 to 3
thousand. 10 male and 2 female Volunteers are recruited from the respective Unit with popular
support of the villagers.
According to the By-law of the Programme, fulfillment of the following criteria by a person will
make him eligible to be a volunteer of the Programme :-
1. Must be a permanent resident of the locality.
2. Age should be in between 18 to 35 years.
3. Must know how to read and write.
4. Should be a strong, stout and healthy person.
5. Must be a self supported person.
6. Must have favourable attitude for voluntary work.
7. Must be honest, sincere and should have peoples support.
8. Must have commitment to be a volunteer, should have time and
Opportunity to render humanitarian services.
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In each Unit, the 10 male volunteers are divided into 5 groups, 2 in each, to discharge the
following responsibilities :
a. Disseminate cyclone warning signals issued by the Bangladesh
Meteorological Department to all people
b. Assist people in taking shelter.
c. Rescue distressed people affected by a cyclone.
d. Provide First Aid to the people injured by a cyclone.
e. Assist in relief and rehabilitation operations.
f. Assist in the implementation of the BDRCS Disaster Preparedness Plan.
g. Assist in participatory community capacity build-up activities.
h. Assist in the co-ordination of disaster management and development activities.
Two female volunteers of the Unit provide first aid to the distressed women after the cyclone
besides their task of raising awareness among the women folk in normal time.
Unit Committee
At Unit levels, 12 volunteers form a Unit Committee, elect one of them as Unit Leader and
another as Deputy Unit Leader.
Union Committee
On an average 10 Units form a Union. The Unit Team leaders of a Union form a Union
committee and elect one of them as the Union Team Leader and another as Deputy Union Team
Leader.
Thana (Sub-district) Committee
On an average 10 Unions form a Thana(sub district). The Union Team Leaders of the Thana
form the Thana Committee and elect one of them as Thana Team Leader and another as Deputy
Thana Team Leader.
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5. MANAGEMENT
Following the withdrawal or International Federation as direct partner in the Implementation in
July 1973, an new Programme Management structure in a form of joint venture was created by
the Government of Bangladesh(GOB) and the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society. An agreement
was signed by both parties spelling that the Programme will basically remain Red Crescent in
nature and will be known as the Cyclone Preparedness Programme(CPP) of the Bangladesh Red
Crescent Society with joint implementation and management scheme.
Two Committees were created to jointly administer and implement the programme. A 7 member
policy Committee headed by the Minister for Disaster Management and Relief is constituted to
give policy directives and allocating resources for the programme. The Policy committee is
constituted as follows :-
1) Minister for Disaster Management & Relief Chairman
2) Minister for Local Government, Rural Development & Co-operative Vice Chairman
3) Chairman, Bangladesh Red Crescent Society Vice Chairman
4) Member-1, Ministry of Planning Member
5) Two Representative nominated by Bangladesh Red Crescent Society Member
6) Secretary, Ministry of Disaster Management & Relief Member-Secretary
A 15 Member Implementation Board, responsible for effective implementation and
administration of the programme is constituted as follows :-
01) Secretary, Ministry of Disaster Management & Relief Chairman
02) Secretary, Local Government Division, Ministry of
Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operative Member
03) Joint secretary(Relief), Ministry of Disaster Management & Relief Member
04) Director General, Directorate of Relief and Rehabilitation Member
05) Director General, Disaster Management Bureau Member
06) Director General, Bangladesh Rural Development Board Member
07) Chief Engineer, Public Health Engineering Directorate Member
08) Deputy Secretary(Relief), Ministry of Disaster Management & Relief Member
09) Representative of Finance Division of the Ministry of Finance Member
10) Director, Meteorological Department Member
11) Secretary General, Bangladesh Red Crescent Society Member
12) Two representatives nominated by the Chairman, BDRCS Members
13) Representative of Ministry of Information Member
14) Representative of IFRC (If present) Member
15) Director, Cyclone Preparedness Programme Member-Secretary
The Programme has a total of 198 full time personnel and 27,330 trained male volunteers and
5466 female Volunteers.
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In Dhaka, the Programme office is staffed by 40 personnel headed by the Programme Director
with the main function of managing the Programme.
At the Field level, the implementation of the Programme is divided into four levels(i.e., units,
Unions, Thanas and Zones)
At the Unit level, there are 2733 Teams of volunteers. Each Team has 10 male members and 2
female members headed by a Team Leader. The Unit Teams are in the front line of the Warning
System. Their mandate is to disseminate the Cyclone warning signals among the villagers and to
assist in their evacuation. The Teams are equipped with basic warning equipments such as hand
Siren and Megaphones and one Transistor radio to receive meteorological information and
cyclone warning signal bulletin transmitted by Radio Bangladesh. The Volunteers are selected
by the villagers using a clearly defined set of criteria. The activities of the Volunteers are
supported by 30 full time Assistant Directors based in 30 different Thanas. Each Thana has an
office equipped with a Transceiver Radio. Between the cyclone seasons, the Assistant Directors
conduct training sessions for the Volunteers.
The Thana office’s work is assisted and supervised by 6 (six) Zonal Deputy Directors. Each
Zone has a permanent office situated in the district level.
6. OPERATIONAL METHOD :
The CPP Dhaka office, located in the BDRCS National HQ. Compound, receives, special
weather bulletins containing cyclone warning signals from the Bangladesh Meteorological
Department as soon as a depression is formed in the bay of Bengal. The information is
transmitted to the 6 Zonal Officers and the 30 Thana level Officers over HF Radio. The Asstt.
Directors, in turn, pass it to Unions through VHF Radio. Where VHF Radio has not yet been
installed the message is passed on by a messenger. The Union Team Leaders contact the Unit
Team Leaders immediately. The unit Team Leaders with his Volunteers spread out in the
villages and disseminate the Cyclone warnings, almost door to door, using megaphones, hand
sirens and public address system. The Team Leaders at the same time keep track of the
approaching Cyclone by listening to national radio broadcasts over the transistor radio. The
Team Leaders are thus alerted and start work without lossing of time. The Volunteers keep on
announcing the special weather bulletins on patterns of the approaching cyclone.
When situation turns serious, the GOB passes order for evacuation. The Volunteers implement
the order and advise and help people in taking shelter in cyclone shelters or other available safe
places.
When the cyclone is over, the volunteers rescue the injured and marooned people, provide First
Aid to the injured, send the serious cases to the local hospitals, and assist in the post-cyclone
emergency relief operation.
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7. STANDING ORDERS FOR CYCLONE
In November 1985, the Government of Bangladesh introduced Standing Orders for cyclone
which specified the functions of each concerned Government Ministries, Divisions, Departments
and Agencies including the specific functions of Cyclone Preparedness Programme of the
Bangladesh Red Crescent Society. The Standing orders lay down the various actions to be taken
at various stages by the Cyclone Preparedness Programme.
The CPP plays a crucial role in the dissemination of cyclone warnings, evacuation, rescue, first
aid and emergency relief works through its 32,796 volunteers in the coastal districts. Detailed
duties of CPP are specified below :-
CPP (Directorate)
Normal Time
a) Organize Preparedness Programme in cyclone prone areas on continuing basis and hold
Mobilization drill on disaster in April and September every year to check status of
preparedness.
b) Ensure that recruitment and training of volunteers are complete before April every year.
a) Ensure that unit, union and thana committees are organized and ready accordingly.
a) Ensure that unit, Union and thana offices are also organized and meetings at unit, union
and thana levels are held regularly.
c) Ensure :
a) Availability of authorized equipment with the volunteers and trouble free functioning
thereof.
I. Proper functioning of wireless communication between CPP HQ and CPP officers at
Thana level and between CPP thana office and CPP Union offices.
d) Assist local level disaster management committees to chalk out thana and union
contingency plans including earmarked shelters, killas, high rise safe places and ensure
that evacuation plans are known to the people in general.
e) Ensure that members of thana and Union Disaster Management Committee, Ansars,
V.D.Rs. and Social workers are trained/oriented on cyclone warning system.
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f) Create awareness amongst the people about cyclone warning signals and popularize
preparedness measures through meeting, discussions, posters, leaflets and film shows,
drills, and demonstration dramas etc. in co-ordination with Disaster Management Bureau
(DMB).
g) Maintain FAX for ensuring communication to Storm Warning Centre at all times.
Alert Phase
a) Establish Control Room at CPP HQ and CPP Zonal offices and co-operate with District,
Thana and Union authorities in establishing control rooms at those levels.
b) Maintain close contact with Department of Meteorology.
c) Receive Special Weather Bulletins from Met. Office and pass the same to Thana, Zonal
offices and advise Thana offices to pass the same to Union offices on post-haste basis.
d) Advise Thana Asstt. Directors, CPP, to contact Union Tam Leaders through wireless or
send liaison Volunteers to the Union Team leaders with instruction for the CPP
Volunteers to listen to Radio broadcasts. Union Team Leaders and their Co-workers to
commence activity as per instructions laid down in the volunteer’s Guide Book
(Ghurnijhor Nirdeshika) published by CPP.
e) Alert Chairmen and Members of the Implementation Board of CPP.
f) Alert DCs, TNOs and Union Parishad Chirman, Ward Members and local NGOs.
Warning Phase
a) Propose emergency meeting of the Implementation Board.
b) Check deployment and functioning of CPP volunteers in the field.
c) Advise people to shift livestock, poultry and other domestic animals to high rise places
and killas under adequate safety measures.
d) Instruct Development Officer(s) of the CPP to advise Thana Nirbahi Officer, Chairman
Thana Disaster Management Committee to immediately convene Committee meeting.
e) Instruct Development officers to advise Union Management Committee to convene
meeting.
f) Implement decisions of the emergency meeting of the Implementation Board.
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g) Instruct Development officer to ensure that decisions of Thana Disaster Management
Committees and Union Disaster Management Co-ordination Committees are
implemented.
h) Transmit Special Weather Bulletins to all Zonal, Thana and union field offices.
i) Ensure that people have been warned by the development officers and the volunteers.
j) Keep the Chairman, Implementation Board, Director General Disaster Management
Bureau and Directorate of Relief and BDRCS informed of the situation in the field from
time to time.
Disaster Phase
a) Co-ordinate activities with all other agencies and N.G.Os.
b) Instruct Development Officers to collect preliminary damage reports from the respective
union team leaders.
c) Prepare preliminary damage report by collecting information from the Development
Officers for the Chairman of the Implementation Board.
d) Ensure that Development Officers and volunteers carry-out rescue operations and provide
First Aid as needed.
e) Advise Development Officers to instruct union team leaders to keep wireless
communication open and make frequent contact with development officer and transmit
damage report as collected.
Recovery Phase
a) Direct field offices to :
• Extend assistance to inoculation and vaccination drive and other health measure.
• Participate in reahbilitation efforts.
• Co-ordinate activities with local NGOs.
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CPP at Field Level
The field officers of the CPP at the level of district zonal officer and the development officer and
union leaders and volunteers will discharge the following functions, besides other functions
within their respective jurisdiction.
Normal Time
a) Organize simulated preparedness programme in cyclone prone areas on continuing basis
and hold mobilization drill on disaster in April and September every year to check status
of preparedness.
b) Complete before April recruitment and training of volunteers as per CPP procedure and
organize grouping of families through them for facilitating evacuation in time of need.
c) Check up stock of authorized equipment with volunteers and undertake repair and acquire
if necessary needed equipments.
d) Check and keep in proper functioning of wireless communication and continue wireless
communication with CPP Headquarters and CPP officers at thana and union level.
e) Educate and create awareness amongst the local people about cyclone preparedness
programme and understanding of warning signals of various types. Motivate and
popularize preparedness measures through meetings, discussions, posters, leaflets and
film shows.
f) Earmark and keep shelter, killas, high rise safe places fit and ready and publicize and
make known to the people evacuation plans towards these.
g) Co-ordinate with the thana and the union parishad to motivate the public and the
volunteers about the cyclone danger responses.
Alert Phase
a) Set up Control room and maintain contact with the Thana, the Unions and the CPP.
b) Keep close contact with the local office of the department of Meteorology and other
offices and use means of communication for input of cyclone alertness.
c) Receive Special Weather Bulletins from the CPP and pass the same to the local officers.
d) Alert local Chairman and Members of District/ Thana/ Union Disaster Management
Committees and local NGOs, religious leaders and teachers.
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e) Instruct sub-ordinate offices and officers to send liaison volunteers to the union Team
Leaders with instruction for CPP volunteers to listen to Radio Broadcast. Do ensure that
union Team leaders and their co-workers commence activity as per instructions laid down
in the volunteer guide book (Ghurnijhar Nirdeshika) published by CPP.
Warning Phase
a) Inform DC/TNO/Union Parishad Chairman to hold emergency meeting of the Disaster
Management Committees.
b) Implement decisions of emergency meetings of the committees.
c) Detail and check development and functioning of CPP Volunteers to ensure that
livestock, poultry and other domestic animals are shifted to raised land, killas etc. under
adequate safety measures.
d) Transmit Special weather Bulletins to all field offices including District, Thana, Union
and Zones.
e) Warn the people about the threat.
f) Advise and help people in taking shelters when evacuation order is given.
g) Use Megaphone, Signal Light and signal flag to give final warning to the people.
h) Keep all including Thana, District, D.G. Relief and Rehabilitation informed of the
situation in the field from time to time
i) Co-ordinate activities with all other agencies, NGO’s.
Disaster Phase
a) Prepare a report on the impact of the cyclone by collecting information and submit it to
CPP Headquarter, union disaster management committee, and the thana and district
control rooms.
b) Carry out rescue operation and provide First-Aid as needed in co-ordination with the
union and thana authorities.
c) Assist local administration in distribution of relief goods.
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Recovery Phase
a) Keep wireless communication open and make frequent contact with CPP and transmit
damage reports as soon as received.
b) Help local bodies/local administration in disposal of dead bodies and carcasses.
c) Assist in inoculation vaccination drive and other Health measures.
d) Participate in rehabilitaion efforts along with other Agencies including NGOs.
The Warning Orders identify at each stages the relation between the Bangladesh Red Crescent
society, Cyclone Preparedness Programme and the various concerned Government Ministries.
Department and Agencies.
8. TRAINING OF VOLUNTEERS
AND PUBLIC AWARENESS
I. To maintain a high level of efficiency, the Volunteers are given training on Red Cross and
Red Crescent movement, Cyclone and its behaviour, warning Signals and their dissemination,
evacuation and sheltering rescue, First Aid and relief operation. On recruitment, the Volunteers
are given preliminary training at local level by the CPP officers.
A 3 days basic training is then given to the Volunteers, batch by batch, on the subjects mentioned
above.
The Unit and Union Team Leaders are given 5 days training on the above subjects as well as
leadership training at Thana or district level.
The officers and Thana Team Leaders who are also trainers of Volunteers are also given disaster
management and leadership training. The First Aid Volunteers given First Aid training by First
Aid instructors of BDRCS. The training programme is designed to broaden their technical
knowledge about disasters in general and Cyclone in particular, to enhance their familiarity with
all aspects of Cyclone Preparedness Programme, to familiarize them with the principles of
management and their application in Cyclone Preparedness Programme for more effective
management of disasters, to promote their leadership ability, to create better understanding of
their roles and responsibilities and the need for co-ordinating efforts with people of other
agencies as well as committees and to enhance the first aid dispensation capability.
II. Public awareness is an integral and very important part of Cyclone Preparedness activities
for its successful implementation. Keeping this in view, the CPP implements the following
public awareness activities in the Cyclone prone coastal areas :
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a) Public awareness through Volunteers. The local Volunteers through their social
contacts motivate the village people as a continuous process. This is a part of the Volunteers
training.
b) Cyclone Drills and Demonstration. Cyclone drill and demonstrations are frequently
held by the Volunteers, also participated by the local people. These drills and demonstrations are
attended by large members of village people.
c) Staging of Drama. To make the village people realize the importance of preparedness,
a special drama depicting the significance of preparedness is written by an expert writer and it is
staged in the coastal areas. More than 200 thousand people have witnessed this drama so far.
d) Film Shows. Documentary films on disasters and preparedness are shown in the villages
in co-operation with Bangladesh Meteorological department and Films and Publication
Department.
e) Posters and Leaflets. Posters and Leaflets on preparedness are regularly distributed to
the coastal inhabitants. A special directive on evacuation, interpretation of warning signals,
instructions for the fishermen etc. in the form of poster and leaflets has been published and
distributed to the community.
f) Publicity Campaign. Immediately before the cyclone season, a publicity campaign is
organized with the Government officials, N.G.O’s and the local public to familiarize and to
create awareness on Cyclone preparedness.
g) Radio and Television. Before cyclone seasons, arrangements are made to telecast
documentary films on disaster and preparedness and special features on disasters and
preparedness are broadcast over Radio Bangladesh. During disaster period, the T.V. and Radio
play an important role by announcing the meteorological signals, evacuation order, instructions
to the public as often as is required.
9. TELECOMMUNICATION NETWORK
The Cyclone Preparedness Programme operates an extensive network of Radio Communications
facilities, in the coastal areas, linked to its communications centre at its head office at Dhaka.
The purpose of this network is exclusively for the disaster management tasks. The network
consists of a combination of HF/SSB and VHF/FM Radios, which covers most of the high risk
cyclone areas.
The Telecommunication network of the Cyclone Preparedness programme is composed of three
(3) elements as follows :
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a) High Frequency (HF) Transceiver radios, with a main base station located at the Dhaka
Headquarter, with the function to transmit information related to the cyclone and the
preparedness. From the field stations the local information related to the progress and effects of
the cyclone is sent to Dhaka HQ.
b) A Field station system of very high frequency (VHF) transceivers with the function to
receive and transmit messages from HF Field Stations to Sub-Stations located at Union level.
c) Transistor Radios used by each unit Team leader (2733 teams) with the function of
receiving meteorological information and cyclone warning signal bulletins transmitted by Radio
Bangladesh Special Weather Bulletin on regular basis during the time of cyclone or depression.
The HF Transceivers (Field Stations) of the CPP have been in operations from 1972 and the
VHF (field Sub station) since 1990. Since the end of 1995, the telecommunication network
covers almost 80 % of the estimated needs of the coastal belt. During after the cyclone of April
1991, the HF and VHF transceivers were the only means of communication from the coastal belt
of Bangladesh and proved their effectiveness before, during and after the cyclone. The network
has been as important asset for the post-cyclone relief operation to enable rapid collection of
essential information from the affected areas and to transmit operational directives to the relief
teams as it may proved again during 1994 and 1995 cyclone.
CPP is now operating a total of 115 Radio stations, out of which, 60 stations are located in
cyclone shelters, built by the BDRCS, in the high risk cyclone prone areas. Almost all these
radio stations are powered by solar panels with storage batteries. There are now 25 stations were
both HF/SSB and VHF/FM Radio transceivers are operating, and there are 8 stations where only
HF/SSB Radio transceivers are operating. Only VHF/FM Radio Transceivers are operated in 82
stations.
10. WARNING EQUIPMENTS AND
GEARS FOR VOLUNTEERS
I. Warning equipments :
To receive the meteorological storm warning signals, the Unit Team leaders are provided
with a transistor radio.
To disseminate the warning signals among the villagers megaphones, sirens, public
address equipments, signal lights and signal flags are provided to each volunteers team.
II. Volunteers gears :
To facilitate the volunteers movement in the cyclonic adverse weather, they are provided
with rain coats, gum boots, hard hats, life jackets and torch lights.
Beside these, the first aid & rescue volunteers are provided with first aid and rescue kits.
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11. TRANSPORT
For successful implementation of the cyclone preparedness activities, the 2733 Unit Team
Leaders have been provided with a bicycle each. The Thana Team Leaders and Officers of the
Programme in the field level have been provided with a motorcycle each. Speed boats are also
provided some thana offices. Zonal offices have been provided with a pick up jeep each
12. ELECTRONIC WORKSHOP AND
SPEED BOAT WORKSHOP
For repair and maintenance of telecommunication equipment, warning equipment, speed boats,
speed boat engines, 3 workshop have been established in Dhaka, Chittagong and Barisal.
13. CYCLONE SHELTERS
After the devastating cyclone of 1970, Government and other agencies undertook construction of
multi-purpose cyclone shelters. During 1972-9 under 1 D.A. credit 238 shelters were
constructed in coastal districts out of which 11 appear to have been washed away. These shelters
are normally used as primary and high schools. These are 3 storied structures. Each center is
capable of accommodating about 2000 people during cyclone and tidal surge.
After 1985 cyclone, Bangladesh Red Crescent Society constructed 62 shelters, Caritas and other
NGO’s constructed 20 shelters. These shelters are 2-storied frame building with free ground
floor 3 meter height on R.C.C columns, which can accommodate 800 people during cyclone and
tidal surge.
After devastating cyclone of 1991, various organizations like Bangladesh Red Crescent Society,
Ministry of Education under Saudi grant, E.E.C, local Government Engineering Bureau as well
as several NGO’s have constructed considerable number of cyclone shelters which are of
different types and design. At present about 1200 cyclone shelters are available for use by the
coastal people.
14. FINANCE AND RESOURCES
To run the Programme, there is an arrangement between the Government of Bangladesh (GOB)
and the Bangladesh Fed Crescent Society (BDRCS). The GOB provides some of the running
administrative cost of the Programme annually. The present year’s grant is Tk. 8.2 million
equivalent to US$-195200. The BDRCS provides capital assets, operational costs, and a part of
the recurring costs through IFRC assistance which includes telecommunication, warning
equipment such and as transistor radio, megaphones, sirens, PA System etc. and also transport
like pickup, motor cycle and speed boat and cost relating to volunteers training.
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After the devastating cyclone of April 1991, IFRC has provided financial and material support to
CPP through a 5-years “Plan of Action”. Which was originally planned to be completed by
1996. A proposal to extented it by one year is aspected to be approved.
15. CONCLUSION
Since the inception of Cyclone Preparedness Programme in 1972, a total of 158 depressions have
formed in the Bay of Bengal out of which 16 intensified into severe cyclonic storm. The
Programme faced all the situations with determination and courage and gradually achieved
greater success in moving people to shelters and saving life and property of coastal people.
From the above facts, it can be summarized that the coastal people have accepted the Cyclone
Preparedness Programme and reduction of loss of life and property are the results of
implementation of the Cyclone Preparedness Programme.
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