Is Bangladesh really prepared for a killer earthquake?

Shaken by the massive Nepal earthquake, the Bangladesh government has claimed it is 'reasonably prepared' to handle such a disaster in the country.

But, its claims don't appear to be borne out on ground.  Experts say the government does have in place guidelines and plans to handle the aftermath of a killer earthquake, but preparation on ground appear flimsy. 

There appears to be a clear lack of drills -- both to create popular awareness on how to react when an earthquake strikes and also among agencies on how to go about after the earthquake has struck.

The 7.8-magnitude earthquake that ravaged Nepal on April 25 has left more than 8,000 dead with more bodies being found daily.

That earthquake also shook up Bangladesh and India as well Chinese Tibet.

Experts say if an earthquake of similar intensity hit densely-populated Bangladesh, it would cause much more damage and deaths.

That has sparked debates on how prepared Bangladesh is for handling such an earthquake.

Disaster Management Minister Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya says Bangladesh is 'reasonably prepared' to handle the situation following a killer earthquake.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has also warned of tightening building regulations and only allow construction that are earthquake-resistant.

But experts beg to differ.

“In Bangladesh, we are still at an elementary stage when it comes to handling earthquakes. We are not ready to handle a major earthquake,” said Chairman of Urban Research Centre Nazrul Islam.

“We have a lot in black and white, but in reality the state of pre-earthquake and post earthquake disaster management preparedness is at the lowest level possible,” he told bdnews24.com.  

Dhaka at greatest risk

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has been working for long with the government and other agencies on Bangladesh’s preparedness to face earthquakes and issues related to it.

According to a 2009 UNDP study, the 120-square kilometre Dhaka City Corporation’s population was more than 7.2 million then—an average of 61,000 people per square kilometre.

It found that the number of buildings in the capital was then around 325,000 and half of them were at least 30 years old.

Forty percent of the buildings were ‘risky’ and 35 percent were ‘fair’, read the report.

These statistics indicate the possible extent of damage if a major earthquake hits the city. 

And the only government agency that would respond is the Fire Service and Civil Defence, which is pretty much vulnerable itself.

Out of the 13 fire stations in Dhaka and its outskirts, 11 of them are housed in buildings, which might collapse during a major earthquake. Moreover, there’s a lack of necessary manpower and other equipment.

“There around 400 fire-fighters in 13 stations. At least 10 more fire stations are necessary,” said its Director General Ali Ahmed Khan.

Lack of coordination and implementation

Guidelines coupled with important facts are in place, but they are not properly implemented, according to the UNDP.
 
“Government has an information database, but it is not made available at the grass-root levels. People do not have the information on what to do when an earthquake strikes. Instructions are there, but that needs to be disseminated. After a disaster takes place, media do some awareness campaign, but that alone is not enough,” said UNDP Senior Consultant M Aminul Islam.
 
There are also guidelines to make existing risky buildings earthquake-resistant through ‘retrofitting’ method, which is effective and less costly. But most of the people are not aware of it.
 
At Dhaka’s Mohammadpur, Abdul Latif owns a four-storey building, which was built by his father 20 years ago.
 

Fire Service Director General Ali Ahmed Khan

“It would be great if there’s way to do so and I will definitely use it,” he said, expressing ignorance about ‘retrofitting’ method.

This is just one example. Most of the people do not even have the basic information on what to do during an earthquake.

Meanwhile, experts say there is a lack of coordination among different government agencies while responding to disasters.

“Several agencies take part in disaster response activities, but no specific agency or person is designated to coordinate the rescue efforts.

“It’s important to bring disaster management efforts under a single umbrella otherwise rescue efforts will be hampered,” said Fire Service chief Ali Ahmed Khan.

The National Disaster Management Council, headed by the prime minister, decided to open up a National Emergency Operation Centre during a meeting last week.

A similar earthquake, which had hit Nepal, will cause far more damage if it happens in Dhaka, according to UNDP’s Aminul Islam.

“Dhaka’s population density is at least ten times more than Nepal, so the extent of the damage would be more,” he said.

“A lot of residential areas in Dhaka have been developed by filling up water bodies, these are most vulnerable. Moreover, the building code is widely violated during constructions,” added Islam.

The fire service has its manual and some equipment to respond during earthquakes, but a specialised drill on that is yet not conducted for fire-fighters.

“We have received some equipment and some are on the way, but these are inadequate,” said the fire-service’s director general. 

 Meanwhile, the UNDP has already trained over 30,000 ‘urban-based volunteers’ for disasters like earthquake.