Provincial govt all prepared for disaster management: CM Rai

BIRATNAGAR: Chief Minister of Province 1 Sherdhan Rai today said the provincial government was all prepared for disaster management during the monsoon.

"The government is aware of shifting human settlements at risk of natural disasters to safety. All necessary materials required for relocating the settlements have been managed," said CM Rai at a discussion on 'Disaster Risk Reduction Management' organized here jointly by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA) and Ministry of Internal Affairs and Law.

Rai reiterated, "The government is ready for disaster management post occurrence of a disaster such as relief distribution and would do its best in reducing disaster risks in coordination with the federal and local government."

He also informed about establishment of the provincial government disaster management fund and chief minister natural disasters assistance fund for helping survivors of natural disasters in the province.

Furthermore, CM urged one and all to play a bigger role in creating awareness about reducing risks of natural disasters like floods, landslides and the like.

On the occasion, Minister for Internal Affairs and Law Hikmat Karki pointed out the need to launch a disaster risk mitigation campaign from mid-September to mid-May and forbid people to build houses on the shores of the rivers for the same.

Other participants like Disaster Management Chief at MoHA, Shankar Hari Acharya, Secretary of the Ministry of Law Samar Bahadur Thapa, Joint Secretary of the Home Ministry Kedar Neupane, Chairperson of the Budiganga Rural Municipality Bal Chandra Majhi and President of Province 1 of the Federation of Nepali Journalists Bikram Luitel among others univocally pressed for identifying disaster risk places in the province.

They also voiced the concerned authorities launch a prompt disaster rescue and relief distribution operation.