Allout preparations to face monster cyclone

Bangladesh took full-scale preparations to face the Cyclone Fani, the biggest in years, that pounded eastern India on Friday, sending coconut trees flying and cutting off power, water and telecommunications.

The monster cyclone made landfall at the temple city of Puri in the morning, with winds gusting at up to 200 kilometres (125 miles) per hour.

The local authorities in the coastal region of Bangladesh evacuated as many as 0.55 million (55 lakh) people from vulnerable districts until Friday noon.

The Met Office said the cyclone would likely hit the country's south and southwestern region sometime after Friday midnight. The weather office forecast five-foot high tidal waves.

Enamur Rahman, the state minister for disaster management, said the government was well prepared.

"The deputy commissioners have been directed to take steps to mitigate the damage [once 'Fani' hits]," 

As many as 4,071 cyclone centres were opened in 19 coastal districts. "More than 400,000 people have been moved to the shelters. We hope to bring in the rest within this evening," he said.

Thousands of volunteers were working to tackle the situation, the minister added.

Bangladesh already started feeling the impact of the cyclone with coastal areas inundated by a tidal surge.

More than 50 shoals were inundated as the water level rose while several villages were flooded after the collapse of embankments in different upazilas of Patuakhali.

Char Momtaz Naval Police Outpost in-charge Sudev Das said more than 10,000 people took shelter in 391 cyclone centres and educational institutions in the affected areas.

Residents of different chars of Kalapara and Galachipa upazilas were worst-affected.

In Bagerhat, over 100 houses were damaged by flash flood after the Baleshwar River embankment collapsed at Bogi village of Sharankhola upazila.

More than 20,000 people were taken to 234 cyclone shelters and educational institutions.

"Some 150,000 people from the affected areas will be moved to the shelters within the evening," Deputy Commissioner Tapan Kumar Biswas said.

In a related development, a woman was killed after a tree branch fell on her at Choramonkachi village in the Sadar upazila at noon under the impact of the storm.

The deceased was identified as Shahinur Begum, 35, wife of Mozahar of the village.

Dhaka witnessed 15 mm rainfall between 10.00am and 5.00 pm on the day, said the Met Office.

The highest 58 mm rain was recorded in Mymensingh during the period.

Director general of Department of Disaster Management Abu Syed Mohammad Hashim told the FE that a total of 549,055 people were evacuated and shifted to cyclone shelters in Jashore, Khulna, Barishal, Chattogram and Noakhali regions.

He said process was underway to shift at least 2.1 million people to shelters by night into the 4000 cyclone shelters in the country.

He said 200 tonnes of rice had been allotted and sent to every coastal district.

Tk 1.0 million and 2,000 packets with eleven food items were allotted for every district primarily.

The upazila DDM offices were authorised to spend the money as necessary without permission of the head office, he said.

He said leave of the DDM staffs had been cancelled.

Maritime ports of Mongla and Payra were advised to keep hoisted the danger signal number seven.

The coastal districts of Bhola, Borguna, Patuakhali, Barishal, Pirozpur, Jhalakathi, Bagerhat, Khulna, Satkhira and their offshore islands and chars will come under the danger signal number seven, according to the BMD.

Maritime port of Chattogram was advised to keep hoisted the danger signal number six.

All fishing boats and trawlers in the North Bay and deep sea were advised to stay safe until issuance of any further notice.

Deputy director of Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) Dr Alhaz Uddin Ahmed said the storm might not cause severe damage to human and livestock thanks to the government's preparedness.

"But it could affect standing agri crops including Boro paddy severely in the coastal districts," he said.

Summer vegetables, spice and jute will also be damaged if the areas are inundated, he said.