Awareness vital to reduce disaster risks: President, PM

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Bangla Tribune Desk
Published : 08:57, Oct 13, 2018 | Updated : 09:00, Oct 13, 2018

President M Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh HasinaCreating awareness and ensuring active participation of people from all section of the society are necessary to programmes to reduce disaster risks, President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said on the eve of the International Day for Disaster Reduction- 2018.
In separate messages ahead of the International Day for Disaster Reduction- 2018, which is to be observed on Saturday (Oct 13), they urged everyone to be consciously aware of the risks posed by natural calamities like lightning and earthquake, reports BSS.
Terming this year’s theme “Reducing Economics Losses” as very significant, the President and the Prime Minister said that Bangladesh is now a role model in combating natural disasters.
The President, in his message, said that Bangladesh is one of the most disaster-prone countries, especially in tremor risk.
“We are not free from tremor risks. It destroys life as well as houses and infrastructures. I think the electronic and print media can play a vital role in creating awareness among the people by publishing and broadcasting information about tremors,” he said.
In a separate message, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said that the government is implementing a number of effective measures to reduce risks of different natural calamities.
“I am happy to learn that the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction will be observed in Bangladesh as elsewhere in the world,” she said before adding, “it is possible to make the disaster management more dynamic by integrating modern technology and indigenous knowledge.”
Recalling Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s steps to make Mujib Killa back in his time, the premier said that the Father of the Nation is the pioneer in implementing disaster risk reduction programmes in the country.
Bangabandhu took the Mujib Killa initiative for saving lives from cyclones and also established Cyclone Preparedness Programmes (CPP) in 1973 for the coastal people of the country,” she added.
She also urged the people to be more aware to reduce the loss of life and property caused by earthquake and lightning and to follow the building-code in the construction of buildings.
The government has taken initiatives to prepare an adequate number of volunteers in every district for post-disaster period, the prime minister said.
“We made Disaster Management Act-2012 and National Disaster Policy-2015,” she said, adding that the government bought rescue instruments worth Taka 1.69 billion aimed at combating earthquake.

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