Evacuation starts in Bhola char areas as tidal wave rises

Around 3 lakh people in Bhola are reportedly being evacuated by the coast guard as nearly 40 chars areas under seven upazilas have been marked as unsafe under the looming threat of cyclone Yaas. 

Bhola Deputy Commissioner Toufiq-E-Elahi Chowdhury confirmed the matter at the virtual preparatory meeting for cyclone Yaas on Tuesday. 

"We are removing people from the Char Nizam and Dhal Char with the help of coast guard as the tidal wave has inundated some areas in Char Fashion," the deputy commissioner said.

Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives (LGRD) Ministry arranged the meeting led by LGRD Minister Tajul Islam this morning to discuss the cyclone impact and its preparedness with district deputy commissioners, mayors, and senior officials of local government bodies.

In Bhola, some 709 shelters, 76 medical teams, 13,000 CPP volunteers are ready to tackle the probable damages of the cyclonic storm in the area. Eight control rooms have been set up to cooperate with the disaster management bodies.

Meanwhile, some low-lying areas in Barguna have already been flooded.

Barguna Deputy Commissioner Habibur Rahman said, "Some parts of the 805-kilometre embankment along the coast are at risk, however, the water development board has been informed ahead of time to be prepared so they can start repairing the damage immediately."

Around 642 cyclone shelters are ready to harbour the residents of the damaged areas in Barguna.

The coastal dwellers adjacent to the Sundarbans in Khulna have started taking preparation to go in shelters as the wounds of Cyclone Amphan from 2020 is still fresh.

Khulna District Relief and Rehabilitation Officer Azizul Haque Joarddar said, "The district administration has set up 1,048 shelters where five lakh people can be accommodated. Moreover, 116 medical teams,  5,320 people from the Cyclone Preparedness Program (CPP) and 50 workers from the Red Crescent are ready to co-operate in disaster response."

In Satkhira, water has entered parts of Gabura union of Shamnagar upazila and 43 points of the Kopotakkho River embankment are at risk.