Most Myanmar people have accumulated knowledge about cyclonic storm Nargis which severely hit Yangon and Ayeyawady regions and parts of Mon State in 2008.
It gave physical and mental suffering to millions of people, leaving hundreds of thousands of people dead and injured. Hence, the word of Nargis always shakes the heart of the people in taking preventive measures against natural disasters. But such an unforgettable record left invaluable lessons to the people.
The dreadful Nargis stipulated the people to observe the weather forecasts whenever any kinds of disasters are slated to fall in parts of the nation. Most of the people in both Yangon and Ayeyawady regions participate in the rehearsal to take preventive measures against natural disasters even in the condition of fine weather. It is because no one people wish to give casualties anymore in the disasters.
Primarily, depressions and storms may fall one after another in the country in the rainy season. Hence, eleven regions and states have built 219 cyclone shelters in order to give shelter to the people when any disasters fall.
The national natural disaster management fund has been spent on the construction of 146 cyclone shelters to give shelters to local people in 11 regions and states after cyclonic storm Nargis had hit.
In so doing, the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement took responsibility for the construction of 87 cyclone shelters and relevant regions and states, 59, totalling 146.
In the work process, the outbreak of COVID-19, difficulties to take out money from banks, high prices of construction materials, shortage of labour and security measures hampered the construction of the cyclone shelters. So, there remain 24 cyclone shelters to be built by ministries for 17 cyclone shelters and region and state governments for seven. They have built 122 cyclone shelters at the end of February 2022.
Up to the second week of May this year, 219 cyclone shelters have been completed. Now, 23 shelters are under construction and there remain four buildings to be constructed.
These cyclone shelters are scattered in disaster-prone areas such as Ayeyawady, Yangon, Bago, Magway, Taninthayi and Sagaing regions and Rakhine, Kayin, Chin, Mon and Shan states.
The shelters can be used as accommodation for victims whenever they face natural disasters such as flooding, storms and others. During the normal time, the shelters can be used for community welfare tasks.
