Decision taken to carry out works keeping rescue, relief in top priority

Inaruwa: A meeting of the province-level disaster management committee decided to carry out works keeping the rescue and relief to the people affected by the encroachment of the Saptakoshi River as a top priority.

The meeting was held under the chairmanship of the Coordinator of Province 1 disaster management committee and Minister for Internal Affairs and Law, Kedar Karki, who took the decision in this regard, said Chief District Officer of Sunsari, Indra Dev Yadav. Decisions were taken to control encroachment of the Koshi river, initiating works immediately through Bakram river management office, province-level disaster management committee, district-based disaster management committee and municipal-level disaster management committee to carry out rescue and relief activities coordinating with each other, shared Yadav.

The meeting also decided to mobilize ward-level management and community development committees to shift the locals of settlements that are at the risk of flood to safer places. He further said that decisions to carry out activities coordinating and cooperating with stakeholders, making arrangements of school, tarpaulin, foodstuffs, toilets and security for temporary residence.

Among the officials attending the meeting were Province no 1 government minister for physical infrastructure and urban development, Himal Karki, Udayapur district’s Chief District Officer Birendra Kumar Yadav, Sunsari’s CDO Indra Dev Yadav, Morang’s Chief District Officer Kashiram Dahal, Belaka Municipality mayor Ashok Karki, Sunsari Baraha Kshetra Municipality mayor Ramesh Karki, the mayors of Saptakoshi Municipality and Kanchanpur Municipality of Saptari and the chiefs of all the three security bodies. Relocating the families affected by and at risk of flood is on. Teams of Nepal Police, the Armed Police Force and the Nepali Army are actively engaged in rescue efforts.

Meanwhile, the provincial government has dispatched relief materials for the flood-affected people. The province government’s ministry of internal affairs and law send the relief goods. One thousand five hundred families have been displaced at Belaka Municipality of Udayapur district as the flooded Saptakoshi river breached its bank and entered the human settlements at five wards of the municipality on Wednesday. The government has rescued the displaced people and shifted them to safer areas. The ministry has already dispatched relief materials including foodstuff for the affected people. —