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Natural Disasters

  • Congress to lead farmers' team for meeting with Sonia

    Even as the Congress is battling the BJP Government within the State Assembly and outside over the "inadequate' relief package for farmers affected by the frost and extreme cold conditions in Rajasthan, the party is leading a large group of the victims this Thursday to meet Congress president Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi. The party's strategy seemingly is to extract some concrete announcements from the Centre in favour of the farmers in general and the frost-hit in particular.

  • Training on disaster management beings

    A seven-day training programme titled 'Regional learning by doing VCA (vulnerable capacity assessment) exercise' started at a city hotel yesterday, says a press release. Bangladesh Red Crescent Society together with International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent organised the training. Bangladesh Red Crescent Society Chairman Prof Dr Mohammed Abdur Rabb inaugurated the training programme. Through this training we could assist better the most vulnerable people during natural disaster, Abdur Rabb said in his speech. Members of the sister national societies from Canada, Mexico, Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Maldives and Nepal are attending the training. Bangladesh Red Crescent Society secretary general and Head of Delegation of the Federation Selvaratnam Sinnaduarai were also present in the inaugural ceremony.

  • Standing tall in the face of drought

    One Bundelkhand village uses water retention techniques to achieve a good crop in spite of 4 years of drought, with a little help from NGO Parmarth. Uttar Pradesh's Bundelkhand region has been devastated by drought and other adverse weather conditions over the past four years. Madhaiya Anghela village in Madhogarh sub-division of Jalaun district exhibits the typical symptoms. Villagers say the kharif crop this year is only 20 per cent of the normal years. The prospects for the rabi crop are very dim

  • $65m Japanese loan for disaster rehabilitation

    Japan and Bangladesh signed an agreement in Tokyo yesterday concerning Japanese loan assistance of US$ 65 million for 'emergency disaster damage rehabilitation' project in the country. Foreign Adviser Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury, who is now visiting Japan, and Masahiko Koumura, minister for foreign affairs of Japan, signed the agreement after their bilateral meeting, said a release from the Japan embassy. Japanese Ambassador Masayuki Inoue pledged the loan to Finance Adviser Dr Mirza Azizul Islam last month. The rehabilitation project under the loan will be started following the signed agreement. Asian Development Bank (ADB) is co-financing the loan. The objective of the project is to support 'quick restoration of economic and social activity' in the areas damaged by the floods and cyclone, through providing quick-disbursement type of import financing for essential agricultural commodities. Rehabilitating and reconstructing damaged public infrastructure, thereby contributing to sustainable economic growth, are also among the objectives. Japan has been assisting disaster mitigation and damage recovery of Bangladesh for long. For recovery from the damage caused by cyclone Sidr, Japan already has provided emergency relief goods equivalent to about US$ 327,100 and emergency grant aid through UN agencies equivalent to US$ 3.7 million. Japan has already started the assessment procedure for construction of additional cyclone shelters in affected area. In addition, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is planning to support for rehabilitation of rural infrastructures with Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) and water supply facilities with the Department of Public Health and Engineering (DPHE) under technical cooperation projects.

  • Afforestation along coasts can reduce disaster damage

    Speakers at a seminar held at Patuakhali Science and Technology University (PSTU) yesterday underscored the need for massive afforestation along the coastal belt to reduce damage in natural disasters like cyclone and tidal wave. Held at the conference room of the university, the seminar was presided by Prof Abdul Latif Masum while University Grants Commission (UGC) chairman Prof Nazrul Islam was present as chief guest. Speakers stressed on creation of a disaster management department or institute on the campus to build technical hands. They proposed short and long-term initiatives in this regard. Dhaka University (DU) Geography and Environment Department chairman Prof AQM Mahbub presented the key-note paper. Among others, DU Disaster Research Training and Management Centre director Dr AHM Abdul Bukee, DU Geography and Environment Department teacher Prof Nazrul Islam Nazem, Food and Disaster Management joint secretary Pranab Chakrabarty, Dr Mahumudul Islam, expert of Comprehensive Disaster Management Programme (CDMP), SPARRSO principal scientific officer Dr Jinnatul Islam and , PSTU Asstt Prof Golam Rabbani addressed.

  • Chickpea, sorghum: India sends seeds to Noah's Food Ark' deep in the Arctic

    Halfway between the northern coast of Norway and the North Pole in an archipelago called Svalbard, three enormous caverns have been blasted 130 m into the permafrost. Called the doomsday vault, it will be a Noah's Ark of food in the event of a global catastrophe. Among the world's 45,000 most important seeds stored in this Svalbard Global Seed Vault, there will be quite a bit of India too. Seeds of sorghum, pearl millet, chickpea, pigeonpea, groundnut and six small millets will be transferred by the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) from its headquarters in Patencheru, near Hyderabad to this location, 1000 km from the Arctic. William Dar, Director General of ICRISAT, is at Svalbard for the opening celebrations tomorrow. He will join European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso and Nobel Peace Prize-winning environmentalist Wangari Mathai in this global initiative. Norway is footing the $8.9-million bill for building the Arctic archipelago where, ironically, no crops grow. Secured behind an airlock door, the three airtight chambers can house duplicates of samples from the world's more than 1,400 existing seed banks. The Norwegian archipelago was selected for its inhospitable climate as well as its remote location. The seeds of wheat, maize, oats and other crops will be stored at a constant temperature of minus 18 degrees Celsius, and even if the freezer system fails, the permafrost will ensure that temperatures never rise above 3.5 degrees Celsius below freezing. This project is important as some of the world's biodiversity has already disappeared, with gene vaults in both Iraq and Afghanistan destroyed by war and a seed bank in the Philippines annihilated by a typhoon. Seed banks have begun contributing: potato seeds from Peru; 30,000 samples of different beans from Colombia; 47,000 seed samples of wheat and 10,000 types of maize from Mexico and thousands of rice varieties from Philippines. Pakistan and Kenya, both wracked by serious unrest, have sent seed collections too. By the time of the inauguration on Tuesday, the Svalbard Global Seed Vault will hold some 250,000 samples, which will remain the property of their countries of origin. According to Dar, ICRISAT's participation adds a special significance to the project

  • Suncorp Says Australia Storm Costs To Top A$100 Million

    Suncorp-Metway Ltd, Australia's second-biggest car and home insurer, said on Monday the total estimated costs from storms in northern Queensland state were seen exceeding A$100 million ($93 million). Suncorp said, however, that its reinsurance arrangements would limit its liability to A$100 million. Australian insurance companies have been battered by heavy storms and a large number of major weather events in the first half of fiscal 2008. In December, Insurance Australia Group Ltd cut its insurance margin forecast for the 2008 business year because of storm damage claims. Flooding in Queensland state since the start of 2008 has forced evacuations of towns, closed mines and washed away crops. Suncorp said it would give a further update on its costs from the storms when it reports half-year results on Feb. 28. (US$1=A$1.08) Story by Denny Thomas REUTERS NEWS SERVICE

  • Rs 2-cr aid for snow-hit areas

    In the wake of widespread damage due to the recent snowfall, the state government today released Rs 2 crore under the Natural Calamity Relief Fund (NCRF) scheme. Chief secretary B.R. Kundal after taking a comprehensive review of the damage caused to the property and infrastructure due to unprecedented snowfall in Jammu released the money. At least eight districts in Jammu region have been badly affected by the recent calamity. In Doda and Kishtwar, a couple of high transmission towers, too, had been damaged. Kundal released the money after taking into consideration reports furnished by different deputy commissioners. Out of this fund, Rs 1.50 crore will be placed at the disposal of the PDD for installing new electricity poles in far-flung areas of affected districts.

  • Storm warning again for Sydney

    A series of brief violent storms yesterday afternoon and overnight led to pockets of heavy rainfall around the state, with one area receiving a one-in-20 year downpour. The Bureau of Meteorlogy has issued a storm warning, expected to include severe thunderstorms with very heavy rainfall and flash flooding, for the Illawarra, Central Tablelands and Central West Slopes districts. The storms are moving from west to east and there is a possibility of further severe storms in Sydney this afternoon and tonight, bureau meteorologist Chris Webb said. -------------- Do you know more? Message 0424 SMS SMH (+61 424 767 764) or email us with information. -------------- Cringila, in the Illawarra, received 44 millimetres of rain in 30 minutes, a once-in-20-year event, Mr Webb said. Oakdale, in Sydney's south-west, received 35 millimetres in 30 minutes and Bilpin, in the Blue Mountains, received 70 millimetres in 90 minutes, he said. There was also heavy rainfall in Strathfield where 17 millimetres of rain fell in just 15 minutes. The State Emergency Service was kept busy in the Illawarra region with 100 requests overnight, spokesman David Webber said. In the south of Sydney there were 35 requests for assistance, he said. Most of the requests were about trees that had fallen down and water inundation caused by flash flooding, Mr Webber said. Commuters on the F3 freeway are having a frustrating morning with heavy delays southbound due to an earlier accident. The Roads and Traffic Authority is warning of extensive delays on the road.

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