Make relief distribution effective even by using helicopters: Home Minister tells authorities concerned

Lalitpur- Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak has directed authorities concerned for making the post-disaster search, rescue, and relief distribution efforts further effective. In his address to a meeting of the District Disaster Management Committee held in the District Administration Office, Lalitpur today, the Home Minister instructed for the distribution of relief materials even by using helicopters.

A collaborative approach is warranted to deal with the disaster and its consequences by keeping our grievances and misunderstandings aside, he said. According to the official data, Lalitpur reports 45 causalities from the September 27-28 flooding and disasters brought by the monsoon rains and 36 have been provided with Rs 200 thousand each in compensation, the Minister said, adding that the remaining six will soon get the compensation.

He directed the local levels to recommend the names of those who were rendered homeless by the disaster to the government and the government will dispatch monetary assistance for them within three days of receiving their names. No citizens should be forced to stay in the open, he said, underlining the need to promptly address the basic needs of the survivors. Though a one-door policy is advised for the relief distribution, it can be promptly managed in coordination with the local levels and the presence of security forces.

He wanted the people concerned to address the post-disaster needs of the citizens such as for electricity, drinking water, and communications facilities through a coordinated approach. The Constitution has determined the four-level structures and they are all supported to work collaboratively for disaster management, the Home Minister asserted. Stating that the present constitution and laws have put in place four tiers structure of governance, he stressed on the need of all the four disaster management bodies to work together in tandem.

“The disaster management committees in the three structures- federal, provincial and local levels – should work together during disasters. Easing transport and the movement of people becomes important. At present it is difficult even to take doctors to the places where people are sick and need medical attention,” he said and directed the bodies concerned to open the roads by any means.

The Home Minister also wanted the damaged bridge at Tika Bhairab be made operational even by employing additional workforce and equipment. Executive Chief of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA), Anil Pokhrel, said that an arrangement has been made to provide Rs 50,000 per house for the construction of temporary shelter to those whose houses have been completely damaged due to the disasters. He pledged to provide the amount within three days of submission of the data.

Former Minister of State for Finance and lawmaker Udaya Shumsher Rana urged the local levels which have been declared as ‘disaster emergency areas’ to focus their attention on repairing the damaged roads and to rebuild the damaged houses. Lalitpur constituency-2 federal lawmaker Prem Bahadur Maharjan stressed on working intensively for collecting the accurate data on the damage and losses due to the disasters. Bagmati province government minister for health, Rameshwar Shrestha called for paying attention to supplying pure drinking water and restoring the communication services.

He also stressed on making the relief distribution effective. Lalitpur Metropolitan City mayor Chiribabu Maharjan said that six people were killed in the disasters in the metropolis, adding that the Metropolis has managed budget to each ward of the metropolis for immediate mobilization for disaster management if required. Similarly, Mayor of Godawari Municipality Gajendra Maharjan, Mayor of Mahalaxmi Municipality Hari Govinda Shrestha and Chair of Konjyosom Rural Municipality Krishna Man Lama briefed the meeting about the damage caused by the disaster in their respective local levels and the measures being taken by the local governments for the post-disaster relief and rehabilitation.

CPN (Maoist Centre) district president Shiva Kattel, CPN (UML) district chairman Purushottam Acharya, Nepali Congress district secretary Rajan Prasad Ghimire among the district party leaders informed about the crisis brought by the disaster and the need for addressing it through cooperation and coordination among all bodies. Chief District Officer Tulasi Bahadur Shrestha said the district administration have been providing relief to the needy reaching their doorstep and in coordination with the bodies concerned. He said six people are still missing in the disaster related incidents in Lalitpur district.