60 special rescue boats to be purchased for flood victim assistance

Ministry of Disaster Management and relief is going to purchase 60 special rescue boats to help flood victims in flood affected districts.

District administrations will help flood affected people to move their belongings to safer places free of cost with the help of these boats.

Atiqul Huq, director general (DG), Department of Disaster Management and Commodore Akhter Hossain, managing director, Narayanganj Dockyard, signed a memorandum of understanding regarding the plan.

The ministry is spending Tk 27 crore to purchase these boats, each having a capacity of 80 people (50 seats and standing 30), officials of the ministry told The Daily Star today.

"We will hand over the boats to district administrations of flood affected districts.

They will use those boats to rescue people from the flood affected areas and chars.

Even if someone wants to dismantle their house and relocate to somewhere else, they would able to, using these rescue boasts," said DG Atiqul Huq.

The boats will have ramps to facilitate physically disabled people using wheelchairs. The boats also feature separate toilets for women.

The ministry will get the first consignment of boats after three months.

"We are expecting to buy more such boats and provide it to each upazila in the flood affected 21 districts," the DG said.