PM Oli insists on DHM’s effective response to above-average rainfall forecast

Kathmandu, May 27: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli visited the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, based in Babar Mahal, today to review the meteorological forecasting and early warning systems implemented by the department.

During the visit, the prime minister enquired about the department’s forecasting mechanism and information flow system and the measures being taken to mitigate potential damage from above-average rainfall predicted for the upcoming monsoon season. He also directed the department to communicate meteorological forecasts in simpler, more accessible language that the target groups can easily understand.

The head of the government instructed the department to keep all its stations in a well-functioning condition and focus on mitigating potential damage in the areas where more rain is expected during this monsoon. He stressed the need for collaboration among the local levels, security bodies and mass media to expedite measures aimed at reducing potential losses.

Department’s Director General Kamal Ram Joshi apprised the Prime Minister that this year’s monsoon period will be extended from June 1 to September 30, and above-average rains are expected in the northern part of the Gandaki and Lumbini provinces and the eastern part of the Karnali province. He expressed his happiness over the first-ever visit by a prime minister to the department, with concerns over the deliveries of the department.

Joshi pledged to fully utilize the available resources to make the department’s work effective. On the occasion, the Prime Minister was accompanied by Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Deepak Khadka and Minister of State for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Kham Bahadur Garbuja and senior government officials.