|
Environmental
Articles Archive: Sustainability/ Land use |
||
Today's
Weather: Barisal |
Borga
I Chittagong |
Dhaka |
Jessure
I Khulna |
Narayanganj |
Rangpur I
Sylhet
I Tangail
I |
||
|
Troubled environment strikes back The flood-prone capital runs the risk of edging towards an ecological disaster as most flood-flow zones and water bodies have been filled up over the years in a disturbing sign of reckless urban growth.
The filling-up of vast areas in Ashulia, Banashree, Aftabnagar, Meradia, Baunia, Badda, Amin Bazar and Hatirjheel, known as water catchments, increased the hazards of floods that swamped much of the city. The Dhaka Master Plan has clearly marked these areas for flood retention and the Wetland Conservation Act, 2000 bars land development in water bodies. According to the Conservation Act, no-one has the right to develop wetlands, flood-flow zones or catchments. But developers and landowners have illegally occupied and filled up the areas. Aerial photos show how water bodies are narrowing down because of land filling. “The government also violates laws. The government plans to develop the city's last remaining water body in Hatirjheel area, spelling a disaster for the city," said Professor Nurul Hasan, chairman of Urban Planning Department at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology. Experts said the areas could consume a huge volume of floodwaters and protect many areas from flooding. Moreover, the city had canals, 26 water-reservoirs, hundreds of small and large ponds and marshlands which preserved overflowing water while the canals sent it into different channels. "If we had saved the water bodies, canals and ponds, it could have consumed a third of floodwater," said Selim Bhuiyan, executive engineer of the Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre of the Water Development Board (WDB). A 1992 survey conducted by Flood Action Plan (FAP) under WDB, the area of Dhaka is 118.62 square kilometres, while it has about 736 hectares of water bodies that are only 6 percent of the total area. "The flood-prone and densely populated city requires 25 percent wetland and water bodies for flood control, breathing space and sustainable habitats of flora and fauna," Nurul Hasan said. Last year, a developer engaged more than 100 dredgers for dumping millions of cubic metres of earth in the large wetland, Ashulia, which is under the flood action plan-zone 8A. It planned to create 35,000 plots on 6,000 bighas. Apart from this project, the developer has grabbed more than 73 acres of government land in Ashulia. Rajuk filed a case under clauses 5 and 8 of the Wetland Conservation Act against the developer with Savar Police Station. The developer was accused of illegally occupying wetland in Ashulia and filling it up without an official clearance. The low-lying areas near Rampura towards the Balu river, which is now called Aftabnagar under the flood action plan zone 8B, have also been grabbed. "It has made the drainage system in Dhaka vulnerable. Now it will be a serious barrier to the recession of floodwaters," a WDB official said. The government planned to impose regulations on real estate developers to control the trend of filling up low-lying lands. It was supposed to formulate a separate policy for regulating the unplanned growth of the high-rise buildings. The housing and public works ministry last year initiated the plan, which is now shelved. Housing and Public Works Minister Mirza Abbas said the Wetland Protection Act would be strictly enforced from now on to ensure environmental balance and flooding. The ministry will demarcate 'all flood flow zones' around the city on the basis of the Dhaka Master Plan and aerial photos and make a public announcement soon, giving clear guidelines for real estate development. Source: The Daily Star, August 02, 2004 |
||
|
II Back II |
||
|
Botanical Garden in Trouble While the government implements plantation schemes to expand the country's forest areas, the National Botanical Garden, one of Bangladesh's largest green spaces, faces extinction. The garden is not only a tree preservation centre, but also one of the few places in the city where the people can breathe freely and have some fun. When monsoon comes, the government launches plantation drives across the country. The campaign aims at making the country greener and expands the forest coverage. Better environment is also one of the major objectives of the annual campaign. But the botanical garden is gradually losing its trees and plants for lack of care. Earth filling by various housing companies in the neighbourhood of the garden is one of the threats it faces. Besides, the garden is plagued by many internal and external problems. A buffer zone to protect the garden is badly needed because the real estate companies are filling the wetlands on three sides of the garden. This earth filling hinders the natural flow of water into the garden's lakes and thus is destroying the water-plants. Besides, the water from the newly filled areas submerges the low-lying areas of the garden and destroys trees. In rainy season, floodwater also enters into the low-lying areas, causing damage to trees and plants. There are two small ponds-the Shapla Pukur and the Padma Pukur inside the garden. These ponds are not sufficient for the survival of the water plants. In the garden, there is a natural water body, which also dries up for lack of water. "The higher authorities at the Forest Ministry are aware of these problems, but steps are yet to be taken to solve those in order to save the botanical garden from extinction," says an official at the garden. The garden remains open to visitors from dawn to dusk six days a week. It is also used for amusement, research work, conservation and other functions. The authorities charge Tk 2,000 for shootings for movies and other functions. They also take additional charges for allowing the entry of cars. The garden offers entertainment facilities. Inside the garden, there are three snack shops, leased out by the government. But the visitors allege that these shops sell foods at exorbitant prices. In the master plan, the garden area was demarcated on 350 acres of land, of which 62 sections were designated for plants. But it is now reduced to 208 acres and divided into 57 sections. The groundwork for the garden was laid in 1961. It was first opened to the public in 1964. There are over 60,000 trees of over 1200 species in the garden. Most of the trees are exotics. There are also 13 endangered species of flora, both local and foreign. But there are no separate sections for the fauna inside the garden. There are only three green houses in the garden, one for cacti and the other two for orchids. But the constructions of all three are incomplete. The four conservatory houses in the garden are home to over 5,000 cacti of 100 different species and 2,500 orchids of 80 species. Some 153 species of plant, including 22 species of bamboo, are in the medicinal section. Unfortunately, the botanists of the garden are confined to tissue culture and researching orhids and cacti. The library inside the garden is very poor. The rare species of plant life in the garden include: Kurchi, Sarpa Gandha, Chalmugra, Baspata, Tamal, Mahua, Budha Narkel, Golden Barrel cactus, Lily and Coke trees. Meanwhile, the garden authorities have urged the foreign embassies to provide various species of plant. Huge money is earned through selling tickets to visitors everyday. According to official sources, some 3,000 people visit the garden everyday. The entry fees range from Tk two to Tk five. An official says, "We hope we will be able to give the government over Tk 50 lakh in revenue this year." Says the official, "We contribute a large amount of money to the government exchequer, but we're provided with insufficient funds to develop the garden. Bureaucratic barriers also humper the development of the garden." "The garden was not established the way as it should have been. There is no policy for the preservation of the plants, or for how many new trees should be planted. It is hard to protect the garden's existing flora from destruction," says another official. The garden has the largest collection of roses. During winter, the rose garden transforms into a sea of colours. People, who are interested in gardening, can collect the stems from the plants and grow in their own gardens. The garden authorities also sell all sorts of saplings of various species at nominal prices. Besides, flocks of migratory birds take refuge in and outside the garden every winter. But the small ponds cannot provide the birds with proper shelters and foods. There are some other problems in the garden. A garden official says, "There is no policy on research work and equipment, and no proper maintenance. There is no facility to install modern equipment required to maintain the trees. We simply don't have the manpower to maintain and guard the garden." Botanists in Dhaka also blame the government for turning the garden into merely an amusement park. According to them, the botanical garden should be made as a research centre for the students of botany. There have been allegations that various anti-social activities take place inside the garden. "It may be a sanctuary for both flora and fauna, but now it is a heaven for anti-socials elements," a botanist says. NewsNetwork Source: Observer Magazine, August 06, 2004 |
||
|
II Back II |
||
|
Floods in Bangladesh Natural disasters, especially floods in Bangladesh have been identified as one of the main obstacles in the way of achieving sustainable development. The occurrence of floods in this part of the world is as old as its history but over the past half century the problem has aggravated and become one of the main concerns for most people. For the past few days the media have been occupied with headlines presenting the threat of floods and significant rise of water in the three major rivers. Vast areas of greater Sylhet district and most districts in the northern region have already been inundated. The sources of flood water in these areas are identified as heavy rainfall within and outside the country and the onrush of water from hill sides. The immeasurable sufferings of the people of the flood affected regions are attracting the attention of the policy makers, researchers and other concerned people and instigating them to extend their hands in supporting these people. However, it is evident that the attempts made to help flood affected people survive better were insufficient and inadequate. The already observed realities are the failure in rescuing marooned people, providing them food, drinking water, health care facilities, security. Lack of flood management capacity of the policy makers and other bodies often make us think as if this is the first time that a flood has occurred in Bangladesh. The Water Devleopment Board forecasted that water levels of three major rivers had already crossed the danger level swamping new areas in the northeastern districts. The low lying areas of Dhaka and Narayanganj would be inundated by July 15, 2004. It is easily imaginable that some more thousands of people may suffer from flood related crises this time. It is evident in Sylhet and northern flood affected districts that the flood shelters and refuges do not have sufficient space to accommodate all affected people. For a large number of people food, water, medicine, toilet, and other essentials are far from needed. Flood is a constant threat to rural livelihoods and it brings great hardships for the poor, especially for women whose access to resources is extremely limited and vulnerable. One should not see recent (this year's) flood in isolation from the past floods. National and international experts conducted extensive research on floods in Bangladesh after the 1987, 1988 and 1998 floods and several theories have been developed about their causes. However, the exact causes are still unknown. Several explanations have been given: confluence of the major rivers, high monsoon rainfall, low mean sea level, rise of sea level, siltation of river beds, flood protection measures/building embankments, deforestation, upstream construction of Farakka barrage and others. Environment is a significant factor for flooding but in part environment is shaped by human activities such as causing deforestation and global warming. Environment also clearly affects human societies, but its ability to do so is in part helped by existing social arrangements such as poor people in Bangladesh live close to main rivers in poorly constructed houses. What we have done to manage floods? In fact, on most occasions we try to control flood rather than manage it. In Bangladesh embankments have been used as a traditional flood control measure since 1956. However, a number of studies and reports have pointed out the negative consequences of flood control measure. Many embankments have had a negative impact on the river regimes, land formation, agriculture, fisheries and on the overall environment. The flood control measures were not planned and not based on the nature of flood and as a result did not sustain. Until recently, very little has been done to mitigate flood and to support people's coping mechanisms. Moreover, relief has become concomitant to flood. It is also observed that relief does not reach those people who need them most. A woman heading a household do not have enough time to queue for relief goods leaving her children, elderly and other belongings. Some even reported that they do not want to use their muscles in pushing men in the queue. It has been learnt that as people do not have other choice than living in flood prone areas, they adopt some of the coping mechanisms to survive. Most of these activities are done by women. Such as saving fistful of rice every day; dry foods, storing fuel, and other essential items. Without almost no medical facilities women nurse the sick child or other family members. In the flood shelters they have to bear the brunt of suffering while collecting drinking water and using toilets. However, these types of (gender) dimensions of flood related crises and people's coping mechanisms have been ignored. The flood related sufferings increase more when flood water starts to recede. In many affected areas water-borne diseases are already spreading which may take severe shape just after the flood water starts receding. The affected people suffer more from lack of health care facilities, and for not having resources to reconstruct their houses. The policy makers and other bodies should come forward to support the flood survivors to restart their normal lives. Seeds for crop cultivation, tree saplings, vegetables and also cash money could be distributed to the poor flood affected people. We should remember that the recent floods have already affected the overall economy of the country. We should all stand by the side of the marooned people and extend support to rebuild the economy of the country. Mahbuba Nasreen is Associate Professor, Department of Sociology, Dhaka University. Source: Observer Magazine, August 06, 2004 |
||
|
II Back II |
||
|
UNEP-Tongji University A leadership programme to deliver a deeper and more integrated understanding of sustainability was launched by the United Nations Environment Programme and Tongji University at Shanghai on July 25, 2004. Thirty-six participants from 25 countries in the Asia-Pacific region took part in the week-long course which ran from July 26-31 in Shanghai. The course will be offered annually in the future to help develop Masters-level course at the UNEP-Tongji Institute for Environment and Sustainable Development. UNEP Executive Director Klaus Toepfer, who announced the creation of the Institute alongside Chinese Environment Minister Xie Zhenhua in May 2002, said the seven-day course was the first initiative of what will become a regional hub for environmental research and training. “With China’s double-digit economic growth and the commitments in its current tenth Five-Year Plan to address industrial pollution, cleaner production, sustainable urban development, environmental protection within agriculture, institutional strengthening and transboundary issues, the timing and setting for the first course is ideal,” Dr. Toepfer said. The leadership course was run by a faculty drawn from a dozen universities and educational institutes in the region, as part of a teaching consortium created by the UNEP-Tongji Institute. Most faculty members were members of the university consortium and provided their teaching inputs on a voluntary basis, expecting to learn from each other’s approaches and improvisations the course will demand. Course Architect and UNEP Regional Director, Dr. Surendra Shrestha, said “ The course has been designed for our future leaders, integrating different perspectives and expertise though a consortium of universities which share a common commitment to sustainability. Course coordinator, Mahesh Pradhan of UNEP, said the experimental nature of the course would put it at the leading edge of sustainability education. The course offered a new dimension to the tradition three-pillar approach –– environment, society and economy –– to sustainability teaching and learning. The course curriculum had a “Three by Three structure integrating the themes of body, mind and soul; economy, society and environment; land, air and water”. The classroom learning was mixed with personal reflection, case studies and field trips, then integrated through a pyramid construction exercise requiring the themes and layers of analysis to be integrated into a collective agreement. The participants for the course were identified as having the potential for leadership and are drawn from Government agencies, community and activist organisations, the private sector, educational institutes and UN agencies. President of Tongji University, Professor WAN Gang, thanked UNEP for partnership. “This is another step in realising our vision of hosting a top collaborative research, technical and managerial training faculty for the developing countries of this region, one which contributes significantly to UNEP’s global and regional environmental assessment as well as the environmental dimensions of China’s major development projects”, Professor WAN said. During the whole week’s study, interaction and discussion, the participants became more aware of the great challenge mankind faces in the new century as most nation’s in the Asia-Pacific Region are developing countries, and they are just in the phrase of rapid economic development. But because of the larger population and less advance technology environmental problems have become more crucial as to whether there will be sustainable development. The course curriculum included field trip for participants to observe Shanghai City Planning Exhibition Hall, SuZhou Creek Environmental Rehabilitation Project and the Magnetic Levitaton. They witnessed the efforts Shanghai has made regarding environmental protection. Participants from different countries also learned and understood Tongji University. Such knowledge and understanding will undoubtedly provide the information and foundation for further cooperation in the future. The leadership Programme on Environment and Sustainable Development will be used by UNEP as contributions to the UN international decade for Education for Sustainable Development, which starts next year. Source: Holiday, August 06, 2004 |
||
|
II Back II |
||
|
Bangladesh to deal with the
post-flood situation The expatriate Bangladeshi community in Britain and other countries have also responded very positively and come forward with donations and other assistance to their flood affected compatriots in Bangladesh. The London based Bangla TV made two special live programs on the flood situation in Bangladesh (23 and 28 July) appealing for donations from the community, writes Abdul Malik
The tasks are no doubt extremely challenging, time consuming and financially very expensive. Fortunately, there is sufficient stock of food grain in the country with no danger of any shortage of food or outbreak of famine, but problems with distribution and price spiral of daily necessities are causing hardship to millions of people. There is no shortage of very essential medicines and other supplies, but lack of safe drinking water coupled with breakdown of sewerage system has resulted in an alarming number of incidence of water borne diseases such as diarrhea, cholera and dysentery, and this has overwhelmed the country’s health care facilities. The government has come under heavy criticisms from media and general public for initially ‘ignoring’ the potential threat of the devastating flood and not taking adequate ‘preventive’ measures. The initial ‘underestimate’ (or no estimate) by the government of the potential danger of the flood and its subsequent ad-hoc/slow response to the unfolding tragedy have been justly criticized. While this may not indicate a total lack of commitment of the government to the flood victims, it is difficult to understand why its various departments were too slow to react to the situation and start the emergency rescue and relief operations. The government was initially unwilling to apply for international help to meet the needs of the flood victims. But now, it has realized that the damage is too widespread and the challenge too great to be met only by its own efforts and resources. It has therefore requested help from international aid and donor agencies, mainly for post flood relief and reconstruction. The US, British and Saudi Arabian governments have already made financial contributions to address the immediate needs of the flood affected people. The UN agencies such as WFP and UNICEF are also mobilizing different kinds of assistance for them. The World Bank and other international donor organizations, together with Bangladesh government, are currently busy in assessing the extent of damage and the rehabilitation/reconstruction needs of post-flood Bangladesh. We do hope that in drawing up a concrete reconstruction plan for the next few years, the agricultural, transport and industrial sectors would get priority. It is absolutely important that the displaced or homeless persons are immediately sheltered, given food aid and medical care, and the damaged roads and railways are restored in the shortest possible time. To avert future food crisis, the peasants in the flood-ravaged regions must be given all help including interest free loans to procure seeds and fertilizers. The government was very soft in the past to the big industrialists by writing off large chunks of their ‘bad debt’ to different banks; why not now write off the debts of small borrowers within the rural peasant communities for the sake of agricultural production of the country? One aspect that has become apparent during the fund raising activities in Britain is the positive response from the community. During the Bangla TV live appeal, which I watched with much attention, it was so reassuring to see people of all ages and gender telephoning the program presenters to offer donations. Of particular appreciation was the response from many young boys and girls (mostly of Sylheti parentage) who offered £5 to £25 donations from their pocket monies/small savings. Many of these children might not have any direct experience of Bangladesh or any flood, but the way they responded to the appeal highlighted their humanity and deep feelings for the distressed people of Bangladesh. This was in sharp contrast with the attitude of few individuals who made telephone calls to the TV station only to emphasize the negative aspects of Bangladesh governance and not to make any donation to the relief fund. I do not know why these people had to choose this occasion to denigrate the government but this was most unfortunate. Their concerns might have been aired on other occasions. The question of management of relief funds obtained from both inside the country and abroad has been discussed by many commentators in the media. The overwhelming criticism is that large parts of these funds are misappropriated by the ruling party leaders and their supporters. It has been alleged that much of the ‘relief goods’ do not reach the intended recipients, but these are sold in the ‘black market’ by some ruling party members in collusion with the lower level government officials. I do not know whether this type of wholesale accusation is true or not, but what is beyond question is that this kind of perception damages the credibility a democratic government. We witnessed tragic political consequences to the first post-independence government of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman when widespread allegations of ‘relief theft’ by the ruling party members shook the very foundation and stability of that government leading, ultimately, to its bloody downfall. It is imperative for the present government to take appropriate lessons from that tragic part of our history and prevent ‘relief theft’ by its members and ‘cadres’ at any cost. A fair system for distribution of relief aids to the truly affected persons is a necessary precondition for inspiring more individuals and donors to make generous contributions to the government managed relief and rehabilitation and reconstruction funds. There are also debates and discussions about the origins of Bangladesh floods and the necessity for a long-term plan for prevention or management of these disasters to mitigate the consequent miseries and sufferings of the victims and the economic loss to the country. While the people of Bengal and Assam regions have lived through thousands of years with occasional floods, the frequency and ferocity of such floods have risen in alarming proportions in recent decades. The main reason is the sudden flow of vast amount of water through the rivers that originate in the Himalayan Mountains and pass through India, Nepal and Bhutan and then through Bangladesh to reach the Bay of Bengal. One of the main rivers, the Brahmaputra, runs through China for about 800 km before entering the North Eastern Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh. Naturally, these rivers form an interconnected network to sustain life in these regions and any excess flow results in floods affecting all the inhabitants. Thus any long-term plan to ‘solve the flood problem’ or at least to manage or reduce the dangerous impact on life and property must be approached jointly by all the countries concerned. For Bangladesh’s part, it must adopt an action program for dredging the rivers that have been silted over the years and become very shallow. Digging new canals and reclaiming the old ones must be given priority to help irrigation in the winter season and excess water discharge during the monsoon. The water discharge systems through the multitudes of roads and highways have proved to be inadequate for water flow on either side, so these systems should be re-evaluated and improved for ease of water flow. Lessons may also be learnt from China’s flood control system. To face the immediate impact of any flood, permanent shelters may be built on high grounds in every flood-prone village or locality. To my knowledge, most of the villages in Bangladesh have schools, madrashas and open playgrounds. The grounds of these public places can be easily raised above the flood water level by local initiatives at nominal cost. These places can be used for their intended purposes throughout the year and can also be used for temporary shelter at the time of any flood. There are of course other measures that may be adopted depending on local conditions, environment and requirement. However, what is needed most urgently is a genuine commitment by the government to draw out a concrete plan and try to implement it in phases. Some costly programs such as river dredging may require international assistance, but many other programs can be implemented by local initiatives. All that is required for the government is to provide honest and far-sighted leadership and inspire the people for participation in the post-flood national rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts. Abdul Malik, an academic, lives in Cardiff, Wales, UK Source: New Age, August 10, 2004 |
||
|
II Back II |
||
|
Environmental education: Some thoughts There has been a long-standing demand for introduction of environmental education in formal education system in our country. Finally, the Department of Environment undertook a project to prepare Environmental Curricula a few years back. Little has been surfaced in the media about the progress of the project. Moreover, it was known that the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) has not been incorporated in the implementation process of project. Without the help of NCTB, the sole agency for implementation of curricula, and preparation of syllabus and distribution of books in the formal education system, how the curriculum would be implemented, remains a mystery. However, I would not go to the process of implementation of the Environmental Curriculum, rather I would put some suggestions for making the environmental education syllabus more eco-centric. All humans and their environment are inseparable and are interdependent for mutual survival. But in reality, environment is often ignored mainly for our ignorance and sometimes due to lack of self-motivation. And our educational system has utterly been overlooking the issue concentrating its thrust to so-called development. Goals The 1977 intergovernmental Conference on Environmental Education in Tbilisi, USSR, set forth a challenge to environment educators around the world: "To develop a world population that is aware of and concerned about the total environment and its associated problems, and which has the knowledge, attitudes, motivations, commitment and skills to work individually and collectively toward solutions of current problems and the prevention of new ones." The notion that humans are superior to others, and human being has every right to overpower others, is central to our environmental degradation. So, study materials should be prepared to make the students sensitive to other living and nonliving beings. Environmental education is open to many instructional approaches due to the nature of its content, and also tends to be interdisciplinary. In preparing the syllabus of environmental education, attempt should be made to achieve the following broad-based goals: *Increase knowledge of students about the biosphere and ecosystems, including their functioning. *Promote understanding about how people interact with their environment as individual and through their culture. *Promote an understanding of basic ecological concepts, such as interdependence in nature, bio-diversity, etc. *Develop problem-solving strategies among students, with emphasis on local issues. *Investigate the roles of individuals, communities and government in solving environmental problems. *Encourage students to explore their environmental values. *Promote a global perspective, but with a focus on the local environment. Guidelines for syllabus Environment simply means our surroundings comprising both the non-living (abiotic) and the living (biotic) components, and the study of interactions between these two is called Ecology. Omitting the linkages of ecology with almost all other disciplines is the serious lapse in our education today. In the forwarding in her multi-award winning book, Silent Spring, Rachel Carson said, "The history of life on earth has been a history of interaction between living things and their surroundings." Environmental problems and their solutions occur at the intersection of natural system and the human systems that manipulate the natural world. So, an integrated approach should be made to physical sciences -- biology, ecology, geology, air, water resources -- and to human systems that affect nature -- food and agriculture, population growth and urbanisation, environmental health, resources economics, and policy -- while presenting the learning materials. Environment is basically an area-specific subject, and therefore, in a country like ours with diverse ecosystems, a uniform syllabus would not be useful. Moreover, it has to be related to so many other disciplines, and adapted to so many age groups also. Environment or Ecology is essentially a field- or case study-based subject. Classroom lectures alone would not do much in the learning process. Hence, field study tours as practical are must for all levels of education, particularly at the school level. At higher levels, it could be project-oriented study, may be as group or individual projects, whose reports could be evaluated. Implementation strategies Teachers are the vehicles of transferring knowledge to the students. Teachers' training through refresher courses, seminars, guidebooks and field trips are prerequisites during the early stages of this educational revolution. Environmental education, however, should not be confined to the classroom alone. Teachers and students should extend it through eco-development camps to rural people, who are our major producers and stakeholders in managing our natural resources, and through pamphlets, booklets and websites to urban people, who are the major consumers and polluters. TV programmes, CDs and DVDs on environmental case studies would disseminate environmental messages faster to the entire country. Md. Nazrul Islam, a graduate of Bangladesh Agricultural University, is a journalist and environmentalist. Source: The Daily Star, August 13, 2004 |
||
|
II Back II |
The immediate danger is probably over. But the aftermath of the flood is gloomy, with serious consequences to the people and economy of the country. Apart from about 700 deaths and 30 million made homeless, the estimated damage to the economy lies between 5 – 6 billion dollars. With the road and railway networks suffering terrible damage and much of the industrial production and distribution system being dislocated, the country faces a daunting challenge for rehabilitation of the affected people, restoration of the essential services and reconstruction of the damaged infrastructure.