DHAKA, Jan 4, 2021 (BSS) – The government has initiated a big move to bolster the ongoing disaster management operations as a Taka 2,275.99 crore project has been framed to procure modern equipment to make quick response and thus conduct emergency rescue operations during and after the possible disasters.
The Department of Disaster Management under the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief has framed a draft project to this end titled “Procurement of equipment for conducting search, rescue operations and establishing emergency communication during earthquake and other disasters (3rd phase)” with an estimated cost of Taka 2,275.99 crore.
The project area covers the whole of Bangladesh including the priority areas of Dhaka, Chattogram, Sylhet and Rangpur Divisions. The project is expected to be completed by October 2023, said a senior Planning Commission official.
The official said the project is scheduled to be placed before the meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) tomorrow where ECNEC chairperson and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will preside over the meeting.
Talking to BSS, Secretary of the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief Md Mohsin said the project is very much time befitting as Bangladesh is a disaster-prone country and implementation of such kind of project would help to a big extent to conduct emergency search and rescue operations in case of any disaster like earthquake.
“This project is very much important considering the disaster-prone nature of the country,” Mohsin said adding that modern rescue equipment worth Taka 220 crore were procured earlier under the 1st and 2nd phase of the project which were provided among the Armed Forces and the Fire Service and Civil Defense.
The Disaster Management and Relief Secretary said that under the 3rd phase of the project, modern equipments including rescue equipments would be provided to 10 government forces and agencies including Armed Forces Division, Bangladesh Coast Guard, Fire Service and Civil Defense, BGB, RAB, Police, Bangladesh Red Crescent Society (BDRCS) and CPP.
“These modern equipment will enhance the institutional capacity of the concerned forces and agencies and thus those will be able to respond quickly in case of any disaster.” he added.
Another Planning Commission official said the main objectives of the project are to protect the lives of people and reduce loss of properties through establishing a developed technology-based and integrated emergency response method.
Besides, it also aims to enhance the professional skills and institutional capacity of the concerned agencies for conducting emergency search and rescue operations during and after disasters.
The main project operations include procuring modern equipment for giving speedy response during and after any disaster and thus conducting rescue operations, imparting technical and Operation and Management (Q&M) training to the concerned agencies to enhance their professional skills, construction and maintenance of shed cum storage.
The other major project operations include establishing an emergency communication system like 4th Generation cellular communication which could be set up at any part of the country during any disaster, conducting necessary operations for bringing in the important agencies and persons involved in emergency relief distribution and rescue operations under communication network during and after disasters.
Besides, the other project operations include expanding the own communication through using the Bangabandhu Satellite in case of emergency communication, setting up Link Terminating Equipment (LTE) based core network, installing HSS billing system for around 2 lakh users through setting up intelligent network, ensuring necessary applications and other operations.
Installing 132 eNodeB radio connections under 11 different zones as well as cloud server and antenna subsystem, ensuring necessary infrastructural facilities, installing 62 Emergency Response Vehicle (ERV), supplying and installing communication equipments like VSAT, LTE enable handset, Customer Premises Equipment (CPE), User Data Base (UDB) Dongle, SIM card.