Disaster management sections set up in all seven provinces

Kathmandu, September 20

Nepal Police has set up disaster management sections in all seven provinces to enhance disaster risk reduction, management and response services at the community level.

Earlier, the security agency had the Disaster Management Division at its headquarters in Kathmandu. The division makes necessary preparation prior to onset of monsoon to prevent and reduce the loss of lives and property due to rain-induced disasters such as flood, landslide and inundation. It also prepares a special team for search, rescue and relief works from among police personnel by providing them with training.

Senior Superintendent of Police Umesh Raj Joshi, joint spokesperson for Nepal Police, said the security agency was making necessary efforts to equip the provincial disaster management sections with resources to carry out search, rescue and relief operations during disasters.

According to the data provided by Nepal Police, as many as 271 persons were killed and 646 others injured in various rain-induced disasters throughout the country from April 14 to September 15 this year. At least 30 persons went missing during the same period. The disasters rendered 767 persons homeless and killed 1,963 livestock.

The data also revealed that total 4,607 houses were inundated. Floods and landslides damaged 15 bridges, 1,761 houses, 217 sheds, 12 industries, 28 schools and 74 government buildings. The estimated loss incurred from natural disasters was around Rs 2.42 billion. SSP Joshi said Nepal Police had deployed 16,200 cops for search, rescue and relief operations during the period.

The disasters that claimed lives were 829 incidents of fire, 248 floods, 471 landslides, 213 lightning, 108 animal attacks and 111 windstorms. SSP Joshi said Nepal Police was working in coordination with local levels and other stakeholders in line with the concept of Community-Police Partnership for disaster preparedness and response.

The Ministry of Home Affairs has been working to establish a Disaster Information Management System that will serve as a repository of data, information, policies, and key decisions on disaster risk reduction and management in the country.

According to national position paper on ‘Disaster Risk Reduction and Management’ recently presented by the MoHA at Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction-2019, held in Geneva, the DIMS will serve as the common sharing platform for the purpose of disaster risk reduction and management. Nepal is one of the countries most vulnerable to natural disasters.