Stress laid on disaster preparedness, prompt recovery

Kathmandu, July 17: The leaders of major political parties represented in the Federal Parliament have suggested that the government should focus more on disaster preparedness and prompt recovery measures.

At an interaction organised today by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) on recent glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) in Rasuwa and the overall aspects of disaster management, politicians pledged to mobilise their cadres to act as volunteers and run campaigns for disaster risk reduction. Nepali Congress leader and lawmaker Mohan Acharya said that there should be a strong presence of the government in recovery and added that the local government should be empowered further for effective disaster management.

CPN (UML) leader Khimlal Bhattarai said that the rescue teams should be trained, and there should be a sufficient supply of search and rescue materials. Likewise, CPN (Maoist Centre) leader Surya Subedi stated that the government and the NDRRMA should take initiatives to engage the political cadres in disaster management, adding that the NDRRMA should be made resourceful and powerful. Also speaking at the event, Rastriya Swatantra Party leader Sajan Sharma suggested that disaster preparedness and management should be run as a regular business of the NDRRMA.

Information dissemination should be done quickly, and the state should invest in a warehouse of essential goods. Leader of CPN (Unified Socialist) Rajendraman Shrestha mentioned that all citizens should be given training on disaster-related issues, and the school-level and university-level curricula should include content on disaster safety. Spokesperson of Janata Samajwadi Party, Nepal, Manish Kumar Suman, talked about the drought and its dire consequences looming in Madhes.

Lawmaker of Nagarik Unmukti Party Lalbir Chaudhary said that Nepal’s territory in Tarai gets inundated due to the dams constructed in the bordering areas with India, and added that the NDRRMA should take initiatives to open the dams on time. Prem Suwal of the Nepal Workers and Peasants Party and Manoj Bhatta of Rastriya Janamorcha asked the government to remove the policy-level barriers in disaster management.

CEO of NDRRMA Dinesh Bhatta shared that the agency was working on post-disaster reconstruction, policy reforms, enhancing the credibility of the early warning system, training and other issues concerning disaster management.