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BOOKS

Useful Record that Fills a Gap in Our Knowledge

Review by Nancy Wong
*** Cyclone '91 : An Environmental and Perceptional Study
Edited by Raana Haider, A Atiq Rahman and Saleemul Huq I*uMish«xi by Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies. 620 Road 10 A (New), Dhan-mondi. Dhaka, GPO Box 3971, Dhaka —1206 ***
IT has been shghtly more than a year since the catastrophic cyclane skanmed the shores of Bangle desh. leaving behind 1t a trail of unimaginable damage to the country’s Infrastructure and unmitigated misery for the vic lima of Ma fury Has the march of time dulled people > memory of last year’s awesome natural dtsaster? Lincoln Chen. Director of the Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies writes in the Hoaion Otobe "Press coverage of disasters tn the rhird World suffers from Imbalances Constrained by space and time. the reporting 1s inva riably episodic Tragedy 1s suddenly thrust upon the reader by intensive and selective coverage Then the crisis disappears " A sad observation but true.
Hence It to heartening to note the publication of "Cyclone 91" by the Bangla desh Centre for Advanced Studies not so much as a grim reminder of tragic events we may rather forget; but as an accurate record tn a country •there essential reports of significant events are either not carried out or He burled tn the dusty files of a bloated bureaucracy
The editors have accom ph shed the difficult task of compiling a host of reports by distinguished experts tn their particular fields and com-Eressed their findings In a tghly readable book replete with moving photographs of the human suffering and envl lunmenlal degradation as well as Informative tables with breakdowns of relevant statistics The contributors Include noted practitioners of disaster preparedness and management and they range from Earle H Abed (Executive Director. BRAC), Jeffrey S Pereira (Executive Director. CARITAS) to R W Timm (Executive Secretary. Commt salon for Justice and Peace) only to mention a few. That such a cohesive overall picture has emerged from so diverse a set of materials Is a tribute to th" editors' methodical approach to a vast topic of this k'nd with its multitudinous aspects.
Liecause of its geographical location with the Himalayas to the north and the funnel shaped coast to the south, the Bay of Bengal is an ideal breeding ground for the likes of
tropical cyclones and tornados This Is an inescapable fact of life which the country has to live and deal with
There has been numerous cyclones in the past, too many to detail and recollect tn this review However, what stood out moat tn last year's event was the utter Indifference and disbelief with which It was greeted by the potential vic time Postmortem enquiries revealed that little blame could be delegated to the warning system. Intensive and exten stw warnings In the form of radio. TV announcements and loudspeaking systems (In the remote villages and chars along the coastal areas) blared news of the approaching storm and Its growing intensity: frequently and at regular Inter vals. Huge losses of lives is at tributed to the people's reluc tancc to abandon their homes (for fear of looting) and the fact that past cyclones have not been as fierce as the warning signals made them out to be. Alas, cyclone-watching is not so exact a science and there is always an element of unpredictability tn cruel nature.
Those who heeded the warnings in time made their way to existing cyclone shelters and survived The tragedy here lies in the Inadequate numbers of cyclone shelters and their advanced state of dilapidation. If there were more of them and if they were not so scattered and were closer to people's homes (along the coast and offshore Islands such as Sandwlp and Kutubdia). many more lives could have been saved.
For those who had never tn the vicinity of a cyclone-hit area before, the book gives electrifying first hand accounts of the awesome event. A sur vivor of a village tn Kutubdia recalls : The water came simultaneously from the northeast and the northwest of the Bay. The stormy wind was howling, and It was like a heatwave, but the drizzle was sometimes Icy cold and sometimes steaming hot. It was red between the sky and the earth. It looked like hell with fire clouds."
In Chittagong where similar natural phenomena took place numerous gardens were ruined
and trees scorched to cinders Another survivor who managed to hang on for dear life to the branch of a tree compared his experience to that of scenes depleted in the Koran of "Judgment Day". Press reports there have been aplenty, but none so vivid as the accounts given tn this book.
Described as a "general
documentation' of the event. "Cyclone 91" Is a project study undertaken one month after the disaster Its main objective Is to discover the cyclone's Impact on the lives and hveh hood of the affected populace The book is based on eye wit ness accounts. Interviews with survivors and researched statistics on subjects ranging
from the estimated mortality rate of men women and children to the analysis of paddy field soil tn the cyclone af fected areas These facts art well Illustrated with tables which are easy to read and di erst, thus giving a wealth of in formation at glance.
Despite an ample store of hard facts. the human element tn seldom out of sight. which Is one major reason why this book grabs the reader s at ten tion. Hence, a study In poignancy arising out of total deprivation Is seen in the statement of a woman survivor of Kaier Beel in Kutubdia: "1 have lost everyone and every thing I have tost my last dig nlty by queuing up for relief I don t even get that. I wish an other big one will come and wash us all away ' These cameo like pictures are seen throughout the book.
Divided Into spcclfk topics, sections are devoted to the Indispensable role of the NGOs such as the Red Crescent. BRAC CARE ADAB, OXFAM and CARITAS, all of whom gave Invaluable and unstinting help In the Implementation of relief activities ‘Operation Sea Angel" deserves special thanks for Its part tn saving numerous five* and going to places Inac feasible by normal transport
There arc many stunning photographs of the horror, misery and stark poverty of human beings as well a* the indescribable desolation of the post-cyclonic landscape Un fortunately, captions have not been given and readers are left to do their own guesswork as to the incident, state of the victims and above all. location of the event Thia. I think. Is one major flaw of an otherwise extremely well researched book which can serve as a use ful guide to future disaster preparedness and manage ment.
Although conceived as a general documentation of the natural disaster". Cyclone 91 far exceeds this tn Its broad insight in other related aspects such as Relief Administration. Coping Strate gles. Rehabilitation and Reconstruction and the Role of the Print Media. Based on the team of experts findings, their recommendations are vital and practical For much as we would love to wish cyclones away, tragically, they are here to visit these shores on a regu lar basis