SINDHUPALCHOWK, AUGUST 4
After widespread criticism for its sheer apathy towards people living in the flood-ravaged river side area, Melamchi Municipality has finally shown some concern for them and urged them to move to a safer place.
The floods since June 15 have caused unprecedented loss and damage to human settlements in the downstream area.
In an appeal issued yesterday, the municipality has said that it has put all-out efforts in mobilising entire mechanisms to control floods and protect the settlements at high risk.
The municipality, however, has expressed happiness over the functioning of early warning system that helped prevent the loss of human lives. The municipality had arranged temporary accommodation to the flood-affected people in Indreswori Secondary School for 15 days, it claimed.
Municipality Mayor Dambar Aryal said that the municipality played a key role in shifting the affected people to a safer place and arranging cooking gas, stove, bed-set and food items. He further informed that coupons were also arranged for food for a month.
The municipality is continuously engaging efforts to check river erosion in the downstream area and mitigate risks as per the thematic experts' advice and recommendations, reads the appeal.
So far, the municipality has placed 1,278 gabions and mobilised seven excavators and dozers continuously on the river side for a month.
The municipality has disclosed the expenses made in the course of putting in place prevention and control of river erosion measures through its website.
The municipality has started collecting all details of flood-affected people and depositing Rs 25,000, Rs 20,000, Rs 15,000 and Rs 10,000 in the bank accounts of flood-hit people as per the classification.
Mayor Aryal further shared that preparation was under way to sign a contract of Rs 50,000 with affected households for housing and start reconstruction of the disaster-ravaged structures.
A version of this article appears in the print on August 5 2021, of The Himalayan Times.
