Staff Reporter:

Under the project titled “Enhancing Disaster Resilience Capacity of the Monsoon Flood-Affected Population”, three rescue boats were handed over to the leaders of concerned disaster management committees in Belkuchi upazila of Sirajganj district on Monday with the aim to enhancing and strengthening disaster management activities in the highly flood prone areas.

The project is being implemented by Manab Mukti Sangstha-MMS with the financial support of Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and supported by Oxfam.

The boats were provided respectively to the Belkuchi Upazila Disaster Management Committee, Bardhul Union Disaster Management Committee and Belkuchi Sadar Union Disaster Management Committee through an ordinary function.

Afia Sultana Keya, Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) of Belkuchi and also President of the Upazila Disaster Management Committee attended the event as chief guest to handing over the water transports officially to the committee leaders.  Among others, government officials, public representatives, and local dignitaries were also present at the event.

Speakers at the event said, “The rescue boats will have to play a vital role in minimizing potential flood damage during the monsoon and ensuring the swift rescue of affected individuals and timely delivery of relief assistance. This initiative is expected to further strengthen the disaster management capacity of the upazila administration.”

It is to be mentioned that, Belkuchi is a flood prone upazila in the district. Several thousands of people of different villages in the upazila suffer immensely during the flooding of each year. Many flood affected people loss their homesteads, domestic animals and other valuable goods due to lack of rapid transportation and shifting facilities. For want of boats or other water transports, many families fail to shift their valuable goods to safer places causing huge losses. But now, those boats will help them to shifting their assets to safer places during the emergency and disaster period. It will also help to reduce damages.

Project insiders said, sustainable and effective measures are being established in disaster-prone areas through this project, which will significantly contribute in future flood management. Each boat is 68 feet long and can easily accommodate 60 to 70 people in each trip, they opined.