DCs asked to prepare for massive flood in August

The government on Wednesday asked the deputy commissioners and others to prepare for ‘massive flood’ in the third week of August. 
Emerging from a business session on the second day of the deputy commissioners’ conference at the secretariat, water resources minister Anisul Islam Mahmud said that there was a possibility of massive flood in late August and necessary steps would be taken to tackle the situation. 
‘Real flood occurs when the water level of the major rivers like Padma, Meghna and Jamuna marks a substantial rise,’ he told reporters.
Water Development Board officials were also directed to take necessary steps to face the possible flood in August, the minister said.
He claimed that recent water rise across the country was not flood and it could be dubbed as waterlogging caused by excessive rainfalls. 
The government would take initiatives for appointments of Bangladeshi civil bureaucrats in United Nations peacekeeping missions abroad, said a cabinet division statement issued Wednesday evening.
It also said that proper steps to upgrade the position of divisional commissioners to Grade I would be taken after a review. 
The Dhaka Divisional commissioner proposed an upgrade of divisional commissioners’ position while Narayanganj deputy commissioner recommended that civil servants should be sent to United Nations peacekeeping missions abroad.
After another session, public administration minister Syed Ashraful Islam said that the issue of mobile court operation by executive magistrates would be resolved. He made the comment when several deputy
commissioners told the conference that there was a public perception that the law and order situation might slide in absence of mobile courts run by executive magistrates.
The deputy commissioners also sought guidelines from the policymakers as the High Court earlier declared illegal the operation of mobile courts by executive magistrates. The matter was now pending with the Appellate Division, said officials. 
The cabinet division statement also said that the government would take initiatives to turn the DC offices built during the British period into library and museum. 
It also said that the government would examine the issue of introducing haor allowance for public servants posted in haor region. 
During a session with road transport and bridges minister, the deputy commissioners said that they could not keep three-wheelers and non-motorised vehicles off the national highways because of political inference.
Road transport and bridges minister Obaidul Quader asked them to inform him directly about any such political inference.
He also asked them to give full efforts to stop plying of trucks and covered vans with extra and dangerous bumpers, angles and hooks.
He asked the deputy commissioners not to spend too much time for protocol to VIPs.
Health minister Mohammad Nasim asked the deputy commissioners to take necessary steps to prevent spread of chikungunya, an Aedes mosquito-transmitted viral disease, across the country.
Commerce minister Tofail Ahmed directed them to take steps to keep the prices of essentials within people’s purchasing capacity.
Civil aviation and tourism minister Rashed Khan Menon asked them to promote domestic tourism through branding of attractive spots of their respective districts. 
Menon told reports that the survey over the site selection for the proposed Bangabandhu International Airport would be completed by July. 
Deputy Commissioners attending the conference said that agriculture minister Matia Chowdhury asked them to take steps to stop the use of top soil in brick field and construct embankments to increase agricultural production.
Environment and forests minister Anwar Hossain Manju urged the deputy commissioners to take steps to shut down the brickfields hazardous to environment and public health in their respective districts.
The deputy commissioners have made 349 proposals relating to 52 ministries and divisions for the three-day conference to end today.
Disaster management and relief minister Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya on Tuesday also instructed the deputy commissioners to take preparations amid apprehension that water might rise in the central and lower parts of the country.
Over 15 lakh people were already affected by floods that gripped nine northern and north-eastern districts in the country since June, according to the department of disaster management.
The flood waters began to recede on Saturday and the department of disaster management said it would prepare the complete report of losses only after the waters receded fully.
According to the department, standing crops on 40,220 hectares were destroyed while 60,000 houses were partially or completely damaged. 

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net