As the Cyclonic storm ‘Mocha’ is brewing over the Bay of Bengal, panic gripped the residents of coastal areas of Bagerhat district due to the vulnerable state of dyke at several points. Residents of Sharankhola, Baleshwar, Pashur in Mongla and Panguchhi in Morelganj upazilas are passing sleepless nights, worrying over when and where the storm and high tide will hit. According to Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD), Mocha is likely to make landfall on Cox’s Bazar coast by Sunday (May 14). If the water rises 5 feet above normal, a number of villages will be flooded as 11km of embankment is at risk while around 25,000 shrimp enclosures may be washed away, said locals. Read More: 409 shelters prepared in Khulna as depression intensifies into Cyclone Mocha At least 446 cyclone shelters have been prepared in the district to accommodate people while 98% of boro paddy has been harvested in the district. Around 11 km of embankment at different points is in vulnerable condition. Many villages in the district will be inundated if the tidal water rises.

Local administration in Khulna has prepared 409 cyclone shelters to evacuate people as cyclone ‘Sitrang’ is expected to make landfall in southern Bangladeshi coast by early Tuesday. Cyclone 'Sitrang' is likely to hit 19 coastal districts including Khulna, Satkhira and Bagerhat, according to a weather bulletin. Maritime ports of Mongla and Payra have been advised to hoist danger signal No 7, warned Bangladesh Meteorological Department in their latest bulletin on Monday morning. Read: Cyclone Sitrang: Heavy rains continue to batter Bangladesh amid flood warning across coastal region  

A refurbished multi-purpose cyclone shelter (MPCS) was inaugurated in Ramu, Cox’s Bazar on Thursday which can accommodate more than 1,500 people and will provide classroom space for up to 400 students.  

Some 50 multipurpose cyclone shelters have been prepared and 256 cyclone preparation programme volunteer units provided cyclone early warning system messages to the community in Rohingya camp as cyclone Amphan is unlikely to hit Cox's Bazar district.