SURKHET, OCTOBER 13

A demand has been put forth to declare three local level units of Jumla Sinja area crisis-hit zone. The floods and landslides triggered by incessant rain till October 9 had ravaged the area.

A meeting of the District Disaster Management Committee held at the District Administration Office, Jumla today has demanded that the Nepal government declare Kanakasundari, Hima and Sinja rural municipalities as crisis-hit zone.

Chief District Officer Mukesh Kumar Kesari informed that the request was made to the federal government for relief, rescue and rehabilitation taking into consideration the loss of lives and properties in the local government units.

CDO Kesari further shared that a recommendation was made and sent to the Minis-try of Home Affairs to declare Kanakasundari, Sinja, Hima rural municipality, wards 1,3,4,6,7 and 8 of Tatopani rural municipality, wards 1,2,3,4,6 and 7 of Tila rural municipality, wards 1 and 2 of Guthichaur rural municipality and Patarasi-3 of Jumla as crisis-hit zone in accordance with Clause 32 (910) of the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act, 2074.

According to Assistant Chief District Officer and Information Officer of District Administration Office, Pramila Rijal, disaster has displaced 1,675 households in Jumla.

At least 316 households were completely damaged, 440 households are at high risk and 726 at partial risk.

Floods and landslides left 10 dead and one went missing in Jumla.

'Further details of loss are yet to be reported', Assistant CDO Rijal shared.

He further said that all stakeholders' teams had reached the flood and landslides-hit areas with dozers to clear the debris and resume operation of the highway operation.

Informing that the office of the rural municipality and police posts had also been inundated, Sinja Rural Municipality Chairperson Purna Prasad Dhital stressed the need to address the problem at the earliest.

Hima rural municipality chairperson Laxman Bahadur Shahi urged the government to lay emphasis on rehabilitation of those displaced in the floods and landslide incidents.

A version of this article appears in the print on October 14, 2022 of The Himalayan Times.