Assignment

ON

MAN MADE DISASTER AND ITS IMPACT ON

ENVIRONMENT
Course code:PA-425

SUBMITTED TO:
GAZI ARAFAT UZ-ZAMAN MARKONY
Assistant Professor
Department of Public Administration and Governance Studies
Jatiya Kabi Kazi Nazrul Islam University
Trishal, Mymensingh

SUBMITTED BY:

Group 03
Session: 2017-18

Submission Date: 14 august, 2022

 Proposed by

MEMBER NAME ID NO CONTRIBUTION

Al Muzahid Emu
(Group Leader) 18123119 Introduction

Types of man-made disaster

Khaled Saifullah al sadi 18123116

Causes behind Man-Made Disaster

Shafekuzzaman 18123121

Imran Ali 18123117 Impact of Man-Made Disaster on Environment

i. Some scenario of worst man-made disaster

in Bangladesh
Md. Joinal Abedin 18123118
ii. Different stages of disaster management
i. Minimize the Impact of Man-Made Disaster
ii. initiative about how we can prevent man-made
Marufa Akter 18123122 disasters

Tawseef Ahmed 18123123 I. Steps in reducing impact of disaster on

environment
II. Conclusion

[Group 03]
Session: 2017-18
4th Year-2nd Semester
Department of Public Administration and Governance Studies
Jatiya Kabi Kazi Nazrul Islam University
Trishal, Mymensingh
 Contents
Acknowledgement .......................................................................................................
Abstract: .....................................................................................................................1
1. Introduction ............................................................................................................1
1.1 What is Disaster? ..............................................................................................1
1.2 What is Man Maid Disaster? ............................................................................1
2. Aims and Objectives ..............................................................................................1
3.Types of man-made disaster ...................................................................................2
4. Causes of Man -Made disaster ...............................................................................3
5. Impact of Man-made Disaster on Environment .....................................................5
6. Some Scenario of Worst Man-Made Disaster in Bangladesh: ..............................9
6.1 Different Stages of Disaster Management ......................................................13
7. Minimize the Impact of Man-Made Disaster:......................................................14
7.1 initiative about how we can prevent man-made disasters: ..........................15
8. Steps in reducing impact of disaster on environment ..........................................16
9. Conclusion ...........................................................................................................17
References ................................................................................................................17
 Acknowledgement

At first, we like to pay our thanks to Almighty Allah, for helping us to do all the
works with perfection. We are really grateful because we managed to complete our
assignment within the time given by our assistant professor Gazi Arafat Uz-Zaman
Markony sir. This assignment cannot be accomplished without the efforts and
cooperation of our group members. There were a lot of articles that helped us by
providing valuable information, advice and guidance for the completion of this
assignment Paper in the scheduled time.

We also sincerely thank our course teacher of Disaster, and Risk Management PA-
425, Gazi Arafat Uz-Zaman Markony for the guidance and encouragement in
finishing this assignment and also for teaching us in this course.
 MAN MADE DISASTER AND ITS IMPACT ON
ENVIRONMENT

Abstract:
Ever since the industrial age, man has had much more control over nature. The industrial sector
started booming and conversely, man- made accidents started increasing. A mistake either by an
individual or by a collective, which creates an impact on the environment enough to dent the
ecosystem and ecological balance is a man- made disaster. This assignment tries to explain the
concept of what man-made disasters are, the underlying causes behind it, the impacts of such
man-made blunders on the environment, the present situation of man-made disasters in
Bangladesh, and possible solutions to prevent these disasters and also reduce the impact caused
by man- made disasters.

Keywords: Disaster, Man-Made Disaster, Environmental Impact, Bangladesh

1. Introduction
1.1 What is Disaster?
Disasters are unfortunate events that almost always end in the loss of life and destruction of
property. Disasters can be defined as a sudden, accidental event of great magnitude that causes
considerable damage to life and property. They are sudden, drastic and normally occur without
any alarm or warning. Some disasters may be short lived such as earthquakes and some other
may be of long duration, such as floods.

1.2 What is Man Maid Disaster?

Maximum of the disasters have a natural foundation, but, a few disasters are artificial/man maid
as well. When disasters occur due to natural forces they are called natural disasters, over which
man has hardly ever any control. But while the failures are due to carelessness of human or
mishandling of risky gadget’s they're referred to as man-made disaster. A man-made disaster is a
disaster resulting from human intent, negligence, or error. Artificial disasters may be both
intentional and accidental. It effects in huge loss of existence and property. It similarly impacts
someone's mental, physical and social nicely-being. Common examples of those disasters are
train accidents, aero plane crashes, collapse of buildings, bridges, mines, tunnels and many
others.

2. Aims and Objectives

a) To assess impact of mad made disaster on environment

b) To identify the Some scenario of worst Man-Made Disaster in Bangladesh
c) To recommend ways to minimize the man-made disaster

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3.Types of man-made
disaster
When people think of disaster its usually
natural disaster like earthquakes,
flood,which come to mind. However
most destructive deadly disasters are
actually manmade.
Differences between manmade and
natural disaster:
Here is what counts as a man-made
disaster, the main categories, and a list of the types of man-made disasters.
Man-made disasters can be intentional or accidental, but they are always caused by human
actions or neglect. However, there can be a lot of cross over between natural and man-made
disasters.
For example, deforestation can lead to landslides. Man-made disasters can be divided into 3
categories:
➢ Technological Disasters: Examples include industrial accidents like chemical spills,
transportation accidents, and mining accidents.
➢ Social Disasters: Examples include warfare, genocide, civil unrest, hyperinflation, and
terrorism.
➢ Environmental Disasters: Examples include deforestation and climate change.

Types man -made disaster:

1. Drinking Water Contamination: The most significant case of drinking water
contamination occurred in Bangladesh. The water sources were contaminated with
arsenic, poisoning upwards of 100 million people in the region. The Flint Water Crisis
exposed over 100,000 people to lead in the USA. Many children experienced brain
damage as a result.
2. Transport Disasters: Transport disasters include air, rail, road, and water vehicle
accidents. These accidents are often too small to be considered disasters. However, there
have been many situations where transport accidents led to mass fatalities. Often, these
accidents are a byproduct of a natural disaster, such as foggy conditions or icy roads.
3. Mining Accidents: While mining has gotten safer, accidents still occur. Miners face the
possibility of getting trapped in collapsed mining tunnels, poisonous gas leaks, dust
explosions, and many other dangers.

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 4. 4.Explosion and fires: The largest non-nuclear explosion disaster occurred recently. In
2020, improperly stored nitrate stored exploded at Port of Beirut. More than 200 people
died, and 6,000 people were injured.
5. Nuclear and Radiation Accidents: The Chernobyl accident is considered the worst
nuclear disaster in history. An explosion and fire occurred due to poorly-trained staff
using unsafe practices. Massive amounts of radioactive material were released into the
air. Approximately 350,000 people had to be resettled, and the entire area contained
6. Warfare In the entire history of the United States, there have only been 15 years during
which the country was not at war. Since the end of WWII (the war to “end all wars”),
there have been at least 285 armed conflicts.
7. Genocide: The UN defines genocide as “acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole
or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group.” Some of the most recent
genocides include: Rohingya genocide Yazidis genocide by ISIS Darfur genocide
8. Civil Unrest: Civil unrest disasters can include riots, strikes, and acts of mass
disobedience. Throughout US history, there have been many incidences of civil unrest,
including many which resulted in massive property damage and death. The 1991 LA riots
were one of the worst in US history: 53 people were killed, and thousands were injured.
9. Terrorism: Terrorism has many definitions but is generally used to instill fear in the
population. There are many forms of terrorism. These include: Mass shootings
Bioterrorism Hostage-taking Hijacking Bomb attacks, Cyber -attacks Biological weapons
10. Global Warming and Greenhouse Effect: Climate change is considered the “biggest
threat” to modern humanity. If climate change goals are not met, researchers predict that
there will be widespread displacement of people, famine, and warfare for resources.
Climate change also intensifies natural disasters like drought, wildfires, and hurricanes.
11. Deforestation: Deforestation is not always considered a disaster in its own right.
However, deforestation can cause other disasters like landslides, mudslides, flooding.
Deforestation also causes habitat loss and increases global warming.
12. Pollution: Pollution usually isn’t thought of as a natural disaster, but it actually has a
very high death toll. Some reports say pollution kills more people each year than war,
natural disasters, and hunger. Pollution also has a massive economic cost.

4. Causes of Man -Made disaster

If natural disasters were not enough, humans have contributed their own share of catastrophic
accidents. As new technology develops, unseen risks or improper precautions can result in
tragedy. Even when every safety measure is taken, extreme weather can lead to disastrous
consequences. Upon the invention of trains, we had train derailments. Upon splitting the atom,
we had nuclear disasters. Learn about some of the most (and least) common man-made disasters,
some historical examples, and how we try and prevent them.

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Industrial Accidents
Mines, factories, and other industrial centers have been at the heart of some of history’s worst
accidents. These places can contain volatile materials, or undergo immense structural stress due
to the labor conducted there. In worst case scenarios, these sites can suffer from explosions or
collapses, leading to loss of life and potential environmental damage.
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/
Transportation Accidents
Anyone who’s driven a car knows that getting from point A to point B can sometimes be
dangerous. Errors in judgement, minor technical malfunctions, and even the interference of
animals can cause serious problems. When these problems occur with mass transit vehicles like
trains, those problems can be disastrous
https://www.census.gov/
Nuclear & Chemical Disasters
Though they’ve been infrequent since the discovery of nuclear fission in the 1930s, there have
been a few instances where attempts to harness nuclear power have gone horribly awry. These
disasters can leave miles of land uninhabitable for decades, or even centuries. Leaks of
dangerous chemicals can have a similar effect, though these are generally less severe.
https://www.redcross.org/about-us/news-and-events/publications.html
Terrorism
Acts of terror stick out from the rest of this page as they are the result of deliberate, politically-
motivated aggression and violence. However, we’ve included them on this page as the worst
terror attacks deserve no lesser word than “disaster.” We have featured here some notable
terrorist actions of the last decades. You can find more info on important terrorist acts under our
Current
https://global.oup.com/academic/series/arts-and-humanities/?lang=en&cc=us
Sports Disasters
Though substantially more niche than the other categories, sporting events can be unfortunately
ripe for tragedy. With many people packed into tight areas, and huge amounts of movement and
commotion, disaster has befallen a non-trivial number of races, games, and more.
Some Reasons for Man Made Disaster. According to various newspaper of Bangladesh
There are multiple factors that may relate to man -made disasters ignorance, Chemical.
The Worst Man -Made Disaster in Bangladesh

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 ➢ 2013 Rana Plaza incident
➢ 2012 Tajrin Garment factory fire incident
➢ 2010 Nimtoli tragedy Unawareness
➢ Illiteracy Carelessly handling danger

Economically loss has a huge impact on garment business. Losing immunity in countries like
USA, Canada afterwards. The rise of unemployment. Many people lost their infrastructure.

So, It is not impossible to avoid man- made disasters. Building infrastructure maintaining
building code, a little carefulness and good heart is enough to avoid a man- made disaster.

5. Impact of Man-made Disaster on Environment

We as humans have become dependent on luxuries such as cars, houses, and even our cell
phones. But what does our love for manufactured metallic and plastic goods do to the
environment? Things like overconsumption, overfishing, deforestation are dramatically
impacting our world.
Human activity can be directly attributed to the cause of hundreds of extinctions in the last two
centuries, versus the millions of years that extinctions naturally occur. As we progress through
the 21st century, humans have changed the world in unprecedented ways.
Disasters are regrettable occurrences that nearly always result in human casualties and property
damage. At least natural disasters like earthquakes, floods, landslides, hurricanes, and tornadoes
happen abruptly and suddenly and have been happening since the beginning of time. Disasters
caused by human beings are unpredictable, yet they can be avoided. Even though there have
been many natural tragedies in the past, man-made disasters are on the rise and have tragic
outcomes.
The man-made events could be either unintentional (example: nuclear power plant event
disruptions or an accidental toxic spill etc.), or deliberately caused (example: poisonings and
various terrorist attacks etc.). (Raymond, 2015). Below we discuss some of the impacts-
Environmental Impact
• Land-use change: Humans may destroy natural landscapes as they mine resources and
urbanize areas. This is detrimental, as it displaces residing species, reducing available
habitats and food sources.
• Pollution: Pollution can occur from the runoff or disposal of chemical substances, or
from energy sources (noise and light pollution).

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 • Introduced species: Humans may unintentionally, or intentionally, introduce a non-
native species into an ecosystem. This can negatively effect an ecosystem because the
introduced species may outcompete native organisms and displace them.
• Resource exploitation: Humans consume large amounts of resources for their own
needs. Some examples include the mining of natural resources like coal, the hunting and
fishing of animals for food, and the clearing of forests for urbanization and wood use.
Extensive overuse of nonrenewable resources, like fossil fuels, can cause great harm to
the environment. Recycling products made from nonrenewable resources (such as plastic,
which is made from oil) is one way to reduce the negative impacts of this resource
exploitation. In addition, the development and use of renewable resources, like solar or
wind energy, can help decrease the harmful effects of resource exploitation.
Agricultural Impact
For years humans have used glyphosate, a herbicide designed to eliminate weeds - the biggest
threat to any plant. However, just as humans have a learning immune system, certain weeds have
developed a resistance to 22 of 25 known herbicides, with 249 species of weeds completely
immune according to the latest scientific report.
"Super weeds" threaten farming lands by chocking outcrops. One of the only solutions is to till
the land, turning over the soil to kill the weeds and give an early advantage to the planted crops.
The disadvantage of tilling, however, is that it causes the soil to dry faster and kills off good
bacteria, making its fertile lifespan significantly shorter. To replenish the depleted soil, fertilizer
is used, which introduces a whole new set of problems to the environment and can be disastrous
for local agriculture in the long run.
Health Impact
Numerous daily activities are a part of human life. Using soaps and detergents for bathing and
laundry changes the quality of the water by adding chemical residue. When food is cooked over
a fire, smoke may be released into the atmosphere. Pesticides and fertilizers may be released into
the environment during agricultural activities.
• Along with cancer, air pollution causes heart and respiratory diseases. Pneumonia and
asthma are thought to be widespread among children who are exposed to air pollution.

• Noise pollution can cause serious damage to ears leading to temporary loss of hearing,
earache, sometimes even permanent deafness.

• Noise prevents concentration, increases irritability and causes headache. It may lead to
increased blood pressure and irregular heart beat

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 • Ringing of ears (a feeling of sound coming from within the ear in a very quiet
environment) is also a result of noise pollution

• Noise disturbs sleep and causes slow recovery from sickness

Ecosystem Impact
Each year scientists learn more about the consequences of global warming, and each year we
also gain new evidence of its devastating impact on people and the planet. As the heat waves,
droughts, and floods associated with climate change become more frequent and more intense,
communities suffer and death tolls rise. If we’re unable to reduce our emissions, scientists
believe that climate change could lead to the deaths of more than 250,000 people around the
globe every year and force 100 million people into poverty by 2030.

• Disappearing glaciers, early snowmelt, and severe droughts will cause more dramatic
water shortages and continue to increase the risk of wildfires in the American West.
• Rising sea levels will lead to even more coastal flooding on the Eastern Seaboard,
especially in Florida, and in other areas such as the Gulf of Mexico.
• Forests, farms, and cities will face troublesome new pests, heat waves, heavy
downpours, and increased flooding. All of these can damage or destroy agriculture and
fisheries.
• Disruption of habitats such as coral reefs and alpine meadows could drive many plant
and animal species to extinction.
• Allergies, asthma, and infectious disease outbreaks will become more common due to
increased growth of pollen-producing ragweed, higher levels of air pollution, and the
spread of conditions favorable to pathogens and mosquitoes. (Turrentine, 2021)
Economic Impacts
An urgent request for an investment can frequently be abused following a disastrous event. This
is due to the fact that catastrophe recovery calls for quick decisions, which may lead to a less
effective use of resources for the economy. On the other side, wasted resources or outdated
infrastructure may be replaced with fresh cash. This suggests that updating outdated
infrastructure will increase the likelihood of economic growth and create chances for new
industries. In this instance, we anticipate that following the calamity, countries' production
efficiency will increase. Additionally, it's likely that productivity can increase when disasters are
minor because the recovery process is manageable. Contrarily, when disasters occur more
frequently, there may be less time for effective decision-making, which has the effect of reducing
production. If so, a relationship between productivity and disaster occurrences that looks like an
inverted "U" can be seen. Another hypothesis, though, is that when there are severe economic
losses following an increasing frequency of disaster occurrences, productivity can be boosted by
a creative reconstruction. (Halkos et al., 2015)

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Psychological Impact
The causes of distress in man-made disasters are more likely than natural disasters to result in
bad outcomes. Some of these elements include hostility within the community, a lack of
togetherness, immediate dread, the societal purpose behind the catastrophe, planned harm, and
heightened resentment among the survivors. As a result, the survivors of disasters caused by
humans have a relatively low acceptance of disaster events. In contrast to natural disasters, where
no one else could be held responsible, the causes of misery are primarily found in and around the
living area.
According to the impact of event scale, survivors of man-made disasters had higher ratings for
avoidance and intrusion. The similar situation could be explained by the reality that riot
survivors encountered additional lifelong challenges as a result of inadequate rehabilitation
attempts. Higher emotional disturbances were also brought on by the long-term issues with
livelihood and living conditions among the riot survivors. The government declared the
earthquake situation a national emergency, and people all around the world offered assistance.
Better rehabilitation services were provided to the earthquake survivors. Thus, among the
survivors of human-caused tragedy, somatization and mental problems were more prevalent.
Commercial Logistics Impact
Due to fire outbreaks and other types of man-made disasters, this area of logistics has been most
negatively impacted. Many large corporations lost millions of dollars as a result of their
suppliers' factory fires and temporary inability to supply raw materials. (Thomas & Helgeson,
2021)
When high-pressure methane gas leaked into the Deepwater Horizon drilling platform on April
20, 2010, it eventually ignited and exploded, resulting in the BP oil disaster. It is believed that
more than 200 million gallons of crude oil were spilled over the course of 84 days. Through the
lens of the number and price of condo sales in the region, the researchers for this study explicitly
evaluated the influence on the coastal economies of Louisiana and Alabama.
EFFECTS OF TECHNOLOGICAL DISASTERS
Technological disasters are stressful, especially because they are unpredictable. Individuals,
families, and communities are affected. Some of the results include income loss, loss of job
security, uncertainty about the future, family conflict, and stress.
In particular, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety symptoms were
common responses to a disaster similar to the Deepwater Horizon/BP oil spill, the Exxon Valdez
oil spill. Impacts may persist over time for some individuals, while others show resilience earlier
(McGinn & Spihdel, 2007). In addition, there are immediate and long-term impacts on mental
health.

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So, these are the main impacts of man-made disaster on Environment. There are some social,
socio-ecological and climate change related terms are given with the main topics.

6. Some Scenario of Worst Man-Made Disaster in Bangladesh:

Some Scenario of worst Man-Made Disaster in Bangladesh are discussed in below. These are-
a. 2013 Rana Plaza incident;
b. 2012 Tajrin Garment factory fire incident;
c. 2010 Nimtoli tragedy;
d. Sundarbans oil spillage;
e. The Bahaddarhat Flyover collapse;
f. some railway accidents, incidents and disasters in Bangladesh;
g. 2021 Moghbazar explosion;
h. 2022 Sitakunda fire;
i. 2005 Bangladesh bombings;

a) Rana Plaza:
Death of Thousand Dream It has been considered to be the deadliest garment factory collapse in
the history of Bangladesh, as well as the deadliest accidental structural failure in modern human
history.
• More than 1134 garment workers died.
• About 267 workers are injured.
• 34 injured workers who needed special treatment.
• About 2438 have been rescued from the collapse.

b) Tazreen Garments Tragedy:

The fire was initially presumed to be caused by an electrical short circuit, but it is suspected that
the fire had been arson and an act of ‘’sabotage’’.
• Died more than 124 workers burn to death.
• Many are missing.

c) Nimtoli Tragedy:
The well-known and very much shocking tragedy at nimtoli of our old town at Dhaka occurred 3
June,2010 due to electric shock.
• Died more than 122.
• Non-fatal injuries-200.

d) Sundarbans Oil Spillage

Sundarbans Oil Spillage Occurred on 9 December 2014.

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 • Southern star VII was carrying 350,000 liters of furnace oil and was in collision
with a cargo vessel and sank in the river.
• The spill occurred at protect mangrove area.
• Expert estimated that BDT 1,000,000,000 was lost as a result of the sinking of
the oil tanker.

e) The Bahaddarhat Flyover collapse:

It occurred on 24 November 2012 when steel girders collapsed in the suburb
of Bahaddarhat in Chittagong, Bangladesh, killing seventeen people. It was 7:30 pm local time,
when suddenly three girders fell down from a flyover (overpass) during construction. The
government of Bangladesh announced that sixteen people died at the scene and over fifty people
were injured.
• The incident killed 17 people.
• The girders fell on those people and knocked down all of them.
• Many dead bodies were not unidentified.
• About 50 people were injured.
• Many people turned lame.
• The whole nation was struck at that terrible moment.

f) Railway accidents and incidents in Bangladesh

The following is a list of some railway accidents, incidents and disasters
in Bangladesh.
1985:
13/01/1985: Parbatipur-bound Simanta Express caught fire. Passengers tried to stop the train by
pulling the communication cord, but the driver did not stop the train, apparently because robbers
operate in the area. 27 people died and at least 58 were injured due to the accident.

1989:
15/01/1989: A north-bound mail train collided head-on with a Chittagong-bound express train
at Gazipur District, due to the railway staff not knowing how to operate the new signal system.
Several cars rolled off an embankment into a rice paddy. Due to the Bishwa Ijtema religious
festival at Tongi, there were over 2,000 people in total on both trains, many riding on roofs or
between coaches. At least 170 died and 400 were injured.

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2019:
12/11/2019: At around 3 am, Dhaka-bound Turna Nishita Express rammed Chittagong-bound
Udayan Express at Mondobhag railway station in Kasba Upazila, Brahmanbaria District. At least
16 people died and 73 were injured. Two coaches of Udayan Express were damaged.

2022:
29/07/2022: Eleven people died by microbus, train accident in Mirsorai, Chattagram.

g) Moghbazar explosion-2021
The Moghbazar explosion took place on 27 June 2021 at the wireless gate of Moghbazar in
Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. At least 7 people were killed and more than 100 injured, out of
which 66 were admitted to various hospitals. Police suspect the incident was caused by frozen
gas.

Moghbazar explosion a) Hundreds of people were

injured in the blast.
Date June 27, 2021 b) 6 people were killed.
Time 7.30 pm c) Among the injured, about 66
people are undergoing treatment at the
Location Moghbazar, Dhaka, Bangladesh hospital. Most of the injured were from
nearby buildings, a few bus passengers and
Cause Gas explosion
pedestrians.
Deaths 11 d) Sounds and blast waves
caused by the blast damaged 14 nearby
Non-fatal 100+
multi-storey buildings.
injuries
e) 12 of the buildings are
commercial and 2 are residential.
On 20 February 2019, a fire broke out in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The fire started in a road accident
between a pickup van and a private car. After the collision, the car's gas cylinder exploded. The
fire then spread to a group of buildings being used to store chemicals, and quickly expanded to
nearby buildings in the densely packed historic district of Chowk Bazaar in Old Dhaka.

• The fire left at least 80 people dead and 50 others injured.

h) Sitakunda fire-2022
On the night of 4 June 2022, a fire and subsequent explosions at a container depot in Sitakunda
Upazila, Chittagong District, Bangladesh killed at least 47 people and injured around 450 others.
The incident occurred at BM Container Depot in the Kadamrasul area of Sitakunda Upazila.
After a fire started in the loading area at around 9 pm. a massive explosion occurred at around 11

11
pm triggering more explosions that spread across the depot caused by ignition of chemicals
stored in the containers.
The force of the explosions affected buildings several kilometres away, and one witness stated
that the explosions caused a rain of fireballs.
The head of Bangladesh's fire service stated that there was hydrogen peroxide in the depot which
prevented the fire from being controlled. The following afternoon, the fire was still burning and
explosions were still being heard. The army had also joined efforts to fight the fire. The fire was
finally brought under control and ended on the afternoon of 7 June 2022.
➢ At least 47 people were killed and around 450 others injured in the incident.
➢ A Chittagong health official stated that at least 350 of the injured were at Chittagong
Medical College Hospital (CMCH).
➢ Many of those injured were in critical condition.
➢ Many of those deceased were so badly burnt that a CMCH official stated that DNA
profiling is needed to determine their identities.
➢ Volunteers stated that there were still more bodies remaining in the depot.
➢ Brigadier General Main Uddin, Director General of the Bangladesh Fire Service & Civil
Defence, reported that five firefighters were amongst those killed, and twenty-one
amongst those injured.
➢ A number of journalists who were livestreaming on social media were still missing.
➢ A Facebook streamer, Oliur Rahman Nayan, a 20-year-old worker at the BM Container
Depot, died while live streaming. He started broadcasting the fire incident on Saturday
night but could not continue for long as there was an explosion that severed his internet
connection and ended the broadcast.
On 6 July 2022, the investigation committee submitted its investigation report to the Chittagong
Divisional Commissioner. The report noted that the depot contained hydrogen peroxide. The
owner of the depot was blamed for the explosion, citing a hydrogen peroxide explosion. The
report also recommends amending the current DG Cargo Act, 1953

i) Bangladesh bombings-2005
On 17 August 2005, around 500 bomb explosions occurred at 300 locations in 63 out of the 64
districts of Bangladesh. The bombs exploded within a half-hour period starting from 11:30 am.
An terrorist organization, Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) claimed responsibility for the
bombings. The group, led by Shaykh Abdur Rahman and Siddiqur Rahman (also known
as Bangla Bhai). Another terrorist group, named Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami, was associated with
JMB in executing the co-ordinated attack. Following the bombings, both groups were banned by
the BNP Government of Bangladesh.

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The bomb exploded near Government facilities. In Dhaka, they exploded near Bangladesh
Secretariat, the Supreme Court Complex, the Prime Minister's Office, the Dhaka
University campus, the Dhaka Sheraton Hotel and Airport.
➢ At least 115 people were injured when 500 small bombs were exploded in 63 out of
64 districts of Bangladesh.
➢ The explosion killed two people (a child in Savar, near Dhaka, and a rickshaw-puller
in Chapai Nawabganj District), and injured a further.
In case of man-made disasters, especially of industrial accidents, the government has formulated
a number of policies to cope with different stages of disaster. Thus, the rules exist in the country
but the problem remains in their implementation. A good number of industries definitely follow
the fire-safety measures, though there are some RMG factories that are reluctant to follow the
measures stringently. One of the prerequisites of export of RMG to EU and USA markets is to
follow the measures fully. But the thoughts of many garments owners' are centred on making
profits only.
It is not impossible to avoid man -made disasters. Building infrastructure maintaining building
code, a little carefulness and good heart is enough to avoid a man- made disaster.

6.1 Different Stages of Disaster Management

Now we are going to correlate our practice with the different stages of disaster management.
Theoretically, the first stage of disaster management is 'mitigation.' The government has
formulated National Building Code, 1993, which clearly lays out the safety and security
measures for industrial sector establishments.
The second stage is 'preparedness,' which includes disaster prevention drill and practice of other
disaster prevention measures. Fire protection drill is common in practice as this is one of the
prerequisites of export to the EU and USA markets.
The third and penultimate stage is 'response,' which includes both from the government and from
industry owners. In practice, the response from the ministries is prompt, however, lack of co-
ordination between different ministries sometimes slows down the response. Lack of modern
equipment and well -trained fire fighters hinder the quick response to a disaster. Narrow roads
and lack of evacuation space often prevent the rescue team from getting quick access to the place
of the disaster.
The fourth and last but not the least stage of disaster management is recovery. Usually, recovery
is done by Fire Service and Civil Defense Force (FSCDF). In recent years, rejuvenation of this
force has started, though the man-power is not yet enough to face a medium level disaster. It also
needs modernizaation in terms of equipment and use.

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As nobody knows when disaster will strike, we may consider the necessity of sharing their
experience to establish a man-made disaster management system to guarantee the safety of the
workers, ensure more investment in Bangladesh and increase exports to the developed world.

7. Minimize the Impact of Man-Made Disaster:

man-made disasters are not just a risk to our environment. They are often a major risk to public
health and people's lives. Some examples illustrate both the health risks and the preventative
action needed.
Bhopal Gas Disaster
In 1984, ~40 tons of methyl isocyanate (MIC), a toxic tear gas, was released from the Union
Carbide India Limited (UCIL) pesticide plant in Bhopal, India. During the disaster, ~500,000
people were exposed to MIC. This caused the immediate death of ~3,800 people and the death of
thousands more over subsequent weeks, as well as adverse health effects including reduced lung
function, COPD, chronic conjunctivitis, and impaired motor skills. Following the disaster, UCIL
halted operation of the plant but failed to completely clean the industrial site, allowing
organochlorine compounds to contaminate surrounding communities. The Bhopal disaster
continued to impact the health of future generations. Children were born with an elevated risk of
cancer and congenital defects to parents exposed to MIC and organochlorine compounds.
Chemical disasters, such as Bhopal, can be mitigated by, for example:

• Developing policies to prevent economic growth taking precedence over environmental

protection and public health, including ensuring potentially hazardous industrial sites are
located well away from centers of population.
• Enforcing environmental health laws and policies, to ensure the threat industrial
organizations pose to public health is minimal.
• Ensuring a thorough clean-up of affected sites, following industrial accidents, to protect
the public from further harmful exposure.{1]

In May 2020, another gas leak occurred in a chemical plant in Visakhapatnam, India,
emphasizing the continuing need for prevention and mitigation of industrial disasters.
Man-made disasters in the UK
The UK also hasn’t been immune from man-made disasters. Examples include:

• The 1957 fire at the Windscale nuclear power plant (now known as Sellafield), which
caused an estimated 240 cancer cases, including a hundred fatalities.

• The 1966 Aberfan disaster, where heavy rain led a colliery spoil tip to slide down into the
village, killing 116 children at the local primary school and 28 adults.

14
 • The 1974 explosion at the Glenborough chemical plant in North Lincolnshire, which
killed 28 people and seriously injured 36 (and could have resulted in many more
casualties if the explosion had happened on a normal working day instead of a Saturday).

• The 1987 fire at King’s Cross station, which killed 31 people and injured another
hundred.

• 89 reported outbreaks of waterborne infectious intestinal disease, affecting 4,321 people

in England and Wales between 1992 and 2003.

• The 28,000 – 36,000 deaths a year attributable to air pollution, according to Public Health
England.

Now it is most important to know and to take initiative about how we can prevent
man-made disasters:
Man-made environmental disasters are a significant, continuing public health risk. However,
risks can be reduced by:

7.1 initiative about how we can prevent man-made disasters:

1.Prepare to Be Prepared
Disaster prevention is first and foremost about preparation. Pre-plan every job before employees
commence any work on it. Schedule a meeting or huddle with all participating employees to
fully understand and outline the details of the job. This includes scope of the work, key issues,
potential problems, equipment access, personnel access and any important information.

2.Be Informed
After preparation, the next most important disaster prevention measure is knowledge. Make sure
the physical and chemical characteristics of hazardous substances are visibly listed. These
include items such as boiling and freezing points, density, vapor pressure, specific gravity,
solubility, volatility and the product's general appearance and odor.

3.Get Supplies Ready

15
It's not pleasant or fun to think about a potential spill, but if it does happen, you'll be glad you
prepared the necessary supplies to clean it up. These supplies include containers, temporary
diking and cleanup materials.
4.PPE
Review the Personal Protective Equipment and tools that are necessary for the project, and make
sure your supplies of these materials -- clothing, helmets, masks, goggles, etc. -- are adequate.
5.Communication
This is key for most challenges in life, but especially for disaster prevention. Before work
commences on a project, analyze how the work will impact other personnel and operations.
Then, make sure proper communication channels and procedures are in place between
participating parties.
another initiatives may be:

• Locating hazardous sites and materials away from centers of population.

• A safe environmental health structure, to ensure e.g. clean, uncontaminated drinking
water.
• Pilot studies and the taking of independent environmental health advice before making
potentially hazardous changes.
• Agreeing, monitoring and enforcing environmental health policies
• Rapid, effective remedial action in the event of a disaster, to minimize longer term risks
and knock-on effects on health.

8. Steps in reducing impact of disaster on environment

Early warning systems: Early warning systems improve the capacity of each country to
lessen the effects of natural disasters. The primary use for EWS is to save lives and protect the
environmental degradation during a disaster. A strong EWS can be used for ongoing
communication between the public, disaster managers, government authorities and relief service
providers beyond the onset of a disaster, facilitating environment protection.
(https://preparecenter.org/topic/early-warning-systems/)

Planting of trees and protection of existing trees: Deforestation is linked to

devastating floods and landslides, and not protecting trees from hazardous manmade disasters
exposes them to harmful chemicals and toxic waste. Tree plantation should be encouraged and
trees should be protected.
(https://wwf.panda.org/wwf_news/?133901/Environmental-protection-vital-to-reducing-natural-
disaster-impact-WWF)

16
Better ecosystem management: The investment of US$1.1 million in mangrove replanting
and other measures saved some Vietnamese communities an estimated US$7.3 million a year in
sea dyke maintenance. During typhoon Wukong in 2000 the area remained relatively unharmed
while neighbouring provinces suffered significant loss of life and property. Similarly, the
management of some 17% of Swiss forests mainly for their protective functions in reducing
avalanches, landslides and flooding is calculated to provide protective services valued at an
estimated US$2 to 3.5 billion per year. These examples highlight a planned and systematic plan
to manage the ecosystem to prevent environmental damage and loss of property and life.
(https://wwf.panda.org/wwf_news/?133901/Environmental-protection-vital-to-reducing-natural-
disaster-impact-WWF

9. Conclusion

Man used to be powerless in the face of nature's wrath. In modern times however, this is
changing. We have learned to anticipate disasters to take prompt action and prevent losses. Many
initiatives to fight natural and man- made disasters have been created as a result of exhaustive
experimentation and prompt policy making; however not all countries have been able to reap
their benefits.

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