Disaster Management and Relief Ministry on Tuesday has asked the authorities concerned to demolish a total of 110 buildings in the capital which have been found to be ‘very risky’ in terms of earthquake resilience.

 

Fire Service and Civil Defence (FSCD) Director General Brig Gen Ali Ahmed said the decision was taken at a recent meeting held at the ministry. Ali Ahmed said this while speaking at a views-exchange meeting with journalists at FSCD training complex in the city’s Mirpur area on Tuesday, UNB reports.

 

Referring to a study, the FSCD DG also noted that if any earthquake’s intensity is above 7 on the Richter scale, around 70,000 buildings of the capital will collapse, leaving around 1.31 lakh people at death risk.

 

Though Dhaka city falls in seismic zone II of the ‘Seismic Zoning Map’ of Bangladesh, there is very strong possibility of massive causalities as it has been a fast growing and densely populated mega city, he said.

 

There is a possibility of massive damage due to its population density, unplanned high-rise buildings and industries constructed ignoring the Bangladesh National Building Code (BNBC), he added.

 

Brig Gen Ali Ahmed said damages by earthquakes can be reduced if buildings are constructed following the BNBC. Besides, he said, the existing risky buildings and establishments can be retrofitted to turn them into earthquake resilient ones.

 

Japanese donor agency JICA has been assisting the FSCD to reduce earthquake risk through retrofitting works in the capital, Ahmed added.

 

According to the Earthquake Disaster Risk Index (EDRI) parameters, Dhaka is among top 20 high earthquake risk cities in the world.

 

Replying to a question, the DG of FSCD said though the government has already ordered to shift all chemical factories from Old Dhaka to its Keranigonj outskirts after the devastating fire of Nimtoli in 2010, many factories have still managed to remain there.

 

It is not possible for the government alone to shift the chemical factories, he said adding that local people have to come forward in this regard.

 

Noting that earthquake never hits with a prior signal, Ahmed said stressing the need for better earthquake preparedness.

 

FSCD has been working to create mass awareness about earthquake preparedness across the countrywide, he said.

 

Chaired by Brig Gen Ali Ahmed, the meeting was also addressed by FSCD Director (Planning, development and training) Lt Col M Mosharraf Hossain and Director (Operation) Maj Shakil Newaz.