Govt considering relocation of hill residents from landslide-prone areas: Minister
The minister said 54 people have died in the floods, with the majority of the fatalities caused by landslides in hilly areas.
The government is considering relocating families living on hills and at the slopes to safer plain lands, Disaster Management and Relief Minister Asadul Habib Dulu said on Tuesday.
"To reduce casualties from future natural disasters, the government is considering a plan to rehabilitate vulnerable families living on hills and at the foothills in safer plain areas," he said at press briefing after an inter-ministerial meeting on flood disaster management, emergency response and coordination held at the Press Information Department (PID) conference room in the capital.
The minister said 54 people have died in the floods, with the majority of the fatalities caused by landslides in hilly areas.
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Dulu said his ministry has already allocated Tk1.75 crore for emergency relief operations, along with 3,250 tonnes of rice and dry food for the affected areas.
Besides, the Prime Minister has allocated an extra Tk20 lakh for each district from the Prime Minister's Relief Fund to support relief activities.
Cooked meals and dry food are being distributed at flood shelters, while the Bangladesh Army, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and the Bangladesh Coast Guard have been deployed for rescue operations, he said.
He said the ministry has also sent speedboats and rubber boats on an emergency basis to strengthen rescue efforts in inundated areas.
The government took several key decisions at Tuesday's meeting to support the rehabilitation of affected families and restore damaged infrastructures, he said.
The Roads and Highways Department will repair damaged highways, while roads under the Local Government Division will also be restored. Earthen roads will be repaired through the ministry's KABIKHA (Kajer Binimoye Khaddo - Food for Work) and KABITA (Kajer Binimoye Taka - Cash for Work), he added.
The minister also said the Ministry of Food will continue its food-friendly programme on an emergency basis in the flood-hit areas.
Describing the floods as a top government priority, Dulu said the Prime Minister has already held several meetings with senior officials, divisional authorities and deputy commissioners to oversee the response.
Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md. Sakhawat Husain, Agriculture, Fisheries and Livestock Minister Mohammed Aminur Rashid, State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief M Iqbal Hossain, State Minister for Water Resources Forhad Hossain Azad and Disaster Management and Relief Secretary Md Saidur Rahman Khan, among others, attended the meeting.
