Kathmandu, July 19 – Minister for Home Affairs has forwarded the rescue and relief operation of the disaster-hit persons with high priority.
Responding to the queries raised by the parliamentarians in today’s meeting of the National Assembly during the deliberations on the issues of public importance, Minister Thapa said the details of the damages caused by floods and landslides were being collected and search, rescue and relief operations were being effectively undertaken.
Thapa informed that so far 90 people lost their lives to natural disasters owing to torrential rainfall on July 11, while 41 people were injured, 29 went missing and 1,300 got displaced.
According to him, a total of 41,000 security personnel from Nepal Army, Nepal Police, and Armed Police Force were mobilized and 3,366 people were rescued as of now. Apart from security personnel, local organizations and civil servants were also mobilized for rescue operation. The injured ones were receiving treatment at the nearest health facilities and search operation for the missing ones were being continued, the Minister said.
He affirmed that all three governments were working in tandem for the effective rescue, relief and rehabilitation works. Minister Thapa assured that early warning systems for flood and rainfall were activated for disaster risk reduction and the locals in the disaster-prone areas were informed about the possibility of natural disasters through social networking sites and mass media.
Furthermore, efforts were underway to resume traffic movement in the roads disrupted due to flood and landslides while Nepal Telecom has been rendering services in the disaster affected-areas by using an alternative means.
Moreover, rescue helicopters were kept standby, embankments made in 14 places, landslides’ debris cleared off from nine roads and seven blocked rivers being unblocked, according to the Minister. Health workers equipped with medicines were mobilized in the inundated areas to prevent outbreak of diseases.
“Climate change has emerged as a burning issue in the world and Nepal is hardest hit,” he reminded.
