Kathmandu, April 2

The government is bracing up to face monsoon related disasters through a special plan. The Ministry of Home Affairs has developed a monsoon preparedness and response plan-2019.

The MoHA said the plan is circulated to all concerned ministries for necessary coordination and action. As per the plan, the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, MoHA, Ministry of Forests and Environment, Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration, Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizens, Nepali Army, Nepal Police and Armed Police Force will coordinate with each other in raising public awareness on fire hazards, landslides, floods and others natural disasters.

Similarly, they will issue necessary directives to their subordinate bodies in all districts and at local levels to ensure that the public is well informed and stays alert avoiding natural disasters. The initiative is also believed to develop resilience among people in coping with natural disasters in its all forms.

According to the MoHA, it has requested the provincial and local governments to develop their own disaster preparedness and response plan as vulnerability to

natural hazards differs from place to place due to varied climatic and geographical conditions.

It has also urged the district disaster management committees and local disaster management committees to hold meetings with the concerned governmental and non-governmental organisations on safety tips that can prevent the loss of lives and property during the disasters, especially floods and landslides.

The MoHA has decided to request ministries, provincial governments and local levels bodies to maintain high alert against water-induced disasters. Likewise, the cluster lead and co-lead agencies of the government, humanitarian country team and Nepal Red Cross Society are requested to prepare their action plan, emergency item stockpile and resource mapping and submit the same to the MoHA within mid-April.

According to National Emergency Operation Centre under the MoHA, the Ministry of Health and Population will keep medical teams with necessary equipment and medicines standby. Similarly, the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport will ensure the availability of trained human resources along with heavy equipment at strategic locations along the national highways to clear possible obstruction of roads and water supply. The Nepali Army, Nepal Police and Armed Police Force will extend necessary supports to the concerned agencies in search, rescue and relief operations. The Department of Hydrology and Meteorology have been directed to disseminate weather forecast to the people through Nepal Telecom and Ncell on a regular basis. As many as 246 persons were killed and 2,430 others injured in various incidents of disaster throughout the country from mid-April to mid-September last year.