A natural calamity is a natural event which has an adverse socio-economic impact on the whole environment. In recent years, they have become more frequent because of the climatic change over the world. That is why they are now called a Global Problem. Bangladesh is very prone to natural calamities.
Every year some common natural calamities like floods, cyclones, tidal bores, excessive rainfall, earthquake, riverbank erosion, drought, etc. visit Bangladesh. Another furious natural calamity, greenhouse effect, is creeping towards us. Every year during the rainy season, many parts of the country are submerged. Among these, floods and cyclones are the two main natural calamities in Bangladesh. It causes a sudden increase in water in the rivers and canals which overflow their banks and cause a flood. The outbreak of various diseases such as cholera, dysentery, diarrhea, fever, etc is followed soon after the disaster.
History of floods in this country is perhaps inseparable from the history of this land. In every century, the Bengal Delta witnessed the visit of about half a dozen floods, almost equal to the magnitude and intensity of those in 1988, 1998, 2004 and 2010. Floods of 1987 and 1988 were of catastrophic consequences. Sometimes violent cyclones, tidal bores, tsunami and melting of snow on mountains cause devastating floods. Cyclones in Bangladesh usually originate from the Bay of Bengal and blows to the land. It is often associated with thunders and heavy showers.
Only from 1981 to 1985, 174 severe cyclones formed in the Bay of Bengal. This short statistics shows the frequency of cyclone in Bangladesh. The three most deadly cyclones of Bangladesh were Cyclone of 1970, 1991 and Sidr of 2007. Cyclone of 1970 blew over the coastal areas with a wind velocity of about 222 km/hr. and caused the death of about 500,000 people. The damage of property and crops was colossal. The wind velocity of Sidr has recorded 240 km/hr with a tidal surge up to 20 feet at some point. About 10,000 people were reported dead.
During natural calamities, the lovely look of the Nature Queen turns furious. Natural calamities cause huge loss to our country. However, the effects of those may be mitigated with the combined efforts of both the Govt. and the mass people. Along with the government, we the people of the upper class society should go among the affected men and help them as far as we can. Above all, we all must love nature and try our level best to keep her pollution free and healthy.
