By IANS
Dhaka : An expert body in Bangladesh is to submit next month a report recommending modernisation of the 1898 cyclone warning system and a special easy-to-understand weather bulletin service.
They also want to introduce a common warning signal system for rivers, seaports and for people who live in southern area along the Bay of Bengal.
“We are thinking about including in the message information on when and where a cyclone is going to hit, how high will be the waves and when people should leave their homes for shelter,” said Prof Jamilur Reza Choudhury who heads the experts’ committee.
The body Tuesday decided to submit a set of recommendations to the government by Jan 7, 2008, The Daily Star newspaper reported.
Meanwhile, a national advisory committee is going to take shape in a week for advising on disaster prevention and mitigation, preparedness and emergency response.
Chowdhury said weather bulletins based on the study of wind pressure, speed and temperature could be very easy for people to understand the gravity of any approaching cyclone. The team will also propose introducing community radio and announcement in local dialects, he said.
Disaster-prone Bangladesh has a history of numerous cyclones and floods and was hit by Hurricane Sidr Nov 15. The devastating cyclone killed about 3,300 people and destroyed more than a million homes and the crops.
Its disaster warning system, strengthened since the 2004 Tsunami, performed well, but was found inadequate and needs modernising. International bodies have shown willingness to finance this.