Cyclone Sitrang on Monday evening hit the coast of Bangladesh between Barishal and Chattogram with a devastating wind speed of up to 90 km per hour, according to the Meteorological Department.
Bangladesh Meteorological Department asked Mongla and Payra seaports to keep danger signal No. 7 hoisted on Monday evening. The warning was raised to No. 7 for Chattogram port, while it remained unchanged for Cox’s Bazar at No. 6.
The government has prepared 7,030 shelters to give refuge to some 2.5 million people in the region, according to State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief Enamur Rahman.
He said 13 districts that are at risk of being impacted are Satkhira, Khulna, Bagerhat, Jhalakathi, Pirojpur, Barguna, Patuakhali, Bhola, Barishal, Laxmipur, Chandpur, Noakhali and Feni. Patharghata of Barguna and Kalapara of Patuakhali could be the worst hit.
He also informed that Sitrang will completely hit Bangladesh while India is unlikely to be hit by the cyclone. Barguna and Patuakhali will likely bear the brunt of the damage, the state minister said.
The Bangladesh authorities have suspended river travel nationwide and closed airports in Cox's Bazar, Chattogram and Barishal in response to the storm.
A woman died when a branch of the mahogany tree fell and hit her head in stormy wind at Lohagara in Narail. The incident took place on Monday afternoon at the upazila parishad premises.
As the cyclonic storm Sitrang was approaching Bangladesh, the government has decided to suspend the operation of all types of water transport services across Bangladesh.
Chittagong Port Authority has launched a control room to deal with the impact of Cyclone Sitrang. Khulna Relief and Rehabilitation Officer Ranjit Kumar Sarkar said that 40,130 people have taken shelter in 548 centres in the southern district so far. Some 5,280 volunteers are on alert to help the common people during the calamity.
Rain continues in Khulna with gusty winds. 177 mm of rainfall was recorded in Khulna from 6am. People in Bagerhat coastal belt have started rushing to shelter centres.
At least 29,000 people of Mongla, Sharankhola and Morelganj upazilas reached the cyclone shelters as of Monday afternoon.
Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperative Minister Md Tajul Islam has ordered to keep dry food, and safe drinking water in every shelter during the cyclone and post-disaster period alongside ensuring the proper sanitation system.
The Directorate of Public Health Engineering was asked to stock sufficient quantities of water purification tablets, jerry cans, temporary tube wells, temporary latrines, bleaching powder, hygiene kits, mobile water treatment plants, etc.
All district and upazila level officials and employees under the local government department have directed to be present at work round the clock.
The Directorate of Public Health Engineering and Directorate of Local Government Engineering have also been asked to keep control rooms open in all cyclone-affected districts to maintain, monitor and coordinate post-cyclone road and culvert renovation and repair.
The government has kept a total of 344 cyclone shelters ready in nine upazilas of the coastal district, which can accommodate around two lakh people along with their cattle.
A low pressure formed in Andaman Sea on 18 October which moved northwestward towards central Bay of Bengal, becoming a depression on 21 October and a deep depression on 23 October early in the day and a full cyclonic storm by 7pm Monday.
Coastal Bangladesh, fringed by the Bay of Bengal, is home to about 40 million people in 19 districts.
On average, about one cyclone makes landfall in Bangladesh every year, striking the relatively shallow northern portion of the Bay of Bengal, raising the water level more than 10 metres above the mean sea level during “very intense cyclones”, the World Bank said in a September report.
The average annual losses from tropical cyclones alone are estimated at approximately $1 billion, or 0.7 percent of the country’s gross domestic product, according to the report. Individual cyclones can result in larger losses.
As many as two crore people in 22 districts of the country have been facing power outage since Monday due to heavy downpour and gusty winds triggered by cyclone Sitrang which was heading towards Bangladesh’s southwestern coastlines.
Communication was also disrupted in different parts of these districts as people failed to charge their mobile phones and watch programmes on TV due to a lack of electricity.
Power distribution company officials said that power supply has been cut in some areas due to damage to distribution lines caused by stormy winds. Besides, it has been decided to cut power supply in some areas in a bid to reduce the risk and minimize the loss likely to be caused by the cyclonic storm. However, the authorities concerned are working relentlessly to keep the power supply normal.
Power Division has asked its all subordinate bodies such as power transmission and distribution segments to open control rooms in their respective offices as cyclone Sitrang was approaching towards Bangladesh coast.
In an office order issued on Monday, all the organizations in power transmission and distribution were directed to open control rooms and take necessary measures to minimize the loss, sources in the Power Division said.
Palli Bidyut Samity under the Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board (BREB) supplies electricity to most of the coastal and its surrounding areas. Most of their customers live in rural areas. As many trees were uprooted due to stormy winds, the power supply to the rural areas has been suspended.
Mohammad Rafiqul Islam, Director (Technical) of BREB, told Bangladesh Post on Monday evening that electricity supply has been disrupted in about 22 districts due to the impact of the cyclonic storm. Power distribution systems are also tripping in those areas. Electric wires and poles have been damaged. As a result, about 30 lakh customers have been experiencing power outage.
“Our teams are working relentlessly in the affected areas. Hopefully, the electricity situation will be normal soon,” he added.
However, sources said that the number of BREB consumers without electricity will be at least 35 lakh. On an average, 5 people get electricity under each consumer. So, about 1.75 crore people are out of electricity. Apart from this, about 70,000 customers under WZPDCL area have been affected by power outage. In total, about 1.78 crore people are now out of electricity.
While talking about preparations, a BREB official said, “We are ready to face Sitrang, keeping in mind the experience we gained from cyclone Ampan. All types of repair goods and manpower have been increased. Feeder-based work distribution, communication with locals, and team arrangements are being done. It has also been instructed to our team to talk less on mobile phone so that charge can be kept longer.”
West Zone Power Distribution Co. Ltd. (WZPDCL) is supplying electricity in Khulna Division, Barisal Division and Greater Faridpur, comprising 21 districts and 20 upazilas excluding REB areas.
When contacted, Engineer Mohammad Azharul Islam, Managing Director of WZPDCL, on Monday evening told Bangladesh Post, "Some areas are at risk of facing this storm where we have instructed to make all-out preparations. Electricity supply is disrupted in some areas due to wind and rain. Our team is working to restore power supply. If the power lines are restored somewhere, other areas face problems. Although it has been resolved in many areas, electricity supply is still not normal in Pirojpur and Kathalia areas. But we are trying our best to restore electricity.”
