Koshi Province prepares to prevent monsoon-induced disasters

The Ministry

of Internal Affairs and Law of the province has directed the District Administration Office, local levels, security agencies and stakeholders to remain on high alert while implementing the ‘Monsoon Preparedness and Response Plan-2083’.

According to Sadananda Bhattarai, senior section officer at the ministry, the Monsoon Response Plan has already been approved by the Province Executive Committee.

He said that letters have been sent to the local level, the District Disaster Management Committee, the district administration and the security bodies for necessary preparations.

Command Post

Integrated Command Post has been established in the Ministry to exchange information during monsoon-related disasters and to take immediate decisions regarding rescue and relief.

According to the Ministry, arrangements have been made to collect, coordinate and give necessary directives about the disaster situation through a command post formed with representatives of all four security bodies and the chief of the Disaster Management Division. Arrangements have been made to exchange information and circulate 24 hours a day through the Province

Emergency Operation Center and District Emergency Operation Center.

Bhattarai said that the Ministry has directed the eight sectoral bodies under the Ministry including the Electricity Authority, Nepal Telecom to be mobilized as per their responsibilities during the time of disaster.

The provincial government has sent advance budget to all the 14 District Administration Offices to remove the delay in the release of budget for relief in the wake of disasters in 14 districts. According to the Ministry, a total of Rs

1.4 crore has been sent to each District Administration Office for immediate relief management.

This will help in managing the necessary expenses for immediate relief and rescue in the disaster-affected areas, according to the Ministry. The state government has approved a project worth Rs

176.1 million for the reconstruction of physical structures damaged by floods and landslides in September last year.

The approved project is in the process of implementation and release of funds through the concerned ministry, the ministry said.

Similarly, 30 percent of the cost share is also being released as per the work procedure of the federal government for the reconstruction of private houses. Seven-

day basic disaster response training has been imparted to 100 people from the municipal police and communities at the local level to mobilize local human resources in the initial rescue during the disaster.

According to the Ministry, the training was conducted in collaboration with the Armed Police Force (APF) and they have been prepared as human resources that can be deployed in the first line during disasters at the local level. The Ministry has already handed over search and rescue equipment worth over Rs 10 million to the Koshi Provincial Police Office. Senior section officer Bhattarai said the equipment was handed over to the security forces that are deployed immediately in the field during the disaster. Arrangements have been made to mobilize sophisticated equipment including drones for search and rescue operations in collaboration with the Armed Police Force and the Nepal Army. Senior section officer Bhattarai said that the equipment was provided to the security agencies this time to reduce the delay in the mobilization of rescue equipment and resources after the disaster in the past.

“They are the security personnel who are directly deployed in times of disaster. So, we have handed over the equipment to the security bodies instead of storing them at the Ministry,” he said, “This will help in immediate mobilization during the disaster and reduce the damage.” “

The State government has given priority to continuous monitoring of the areas prone to flood, landslide and inundation during the monsoon period, collecting information and coordinating between security agencies and local levels.