All levels of govt must form separate bodies to deal with the natural disasters
At least five people were killed and 28 others went missing in the floods and landslides triggered by the torrential rainfall in the eastern hilly region of the country over the last 24 hours. As many as 16 hydropower projects under construction and others already completed also suffered heavy damage due to the heavy rains and landslides in Sankhuwasabha, Bhojpur and Taplejung districts. Preliminary reports suggest that 18 people went missing from Upper Hewakhola Hydroelectricity Project. Among them, three people have come into contact with the police. Five people are reported missing in Makalu Rural Municipality. Floods and landslides have also damaged one motorable bridge over Hewakhola and other suspension bridges, disconnecting Taplejung and Panchthar districts with rest of the districts. Standing maize crops planted along the banks of rives have also been washed away, resulting in food shortage in the hilly region. Meteorologists said that there was a heavy rainfall of 142 mm on Thursday at Num area of Sankhuwasabha when this year's monsoon arrived in Nepal. Actually it was a cloudburst in a concentrated area that caused heavy floods and triggered landslides.
Although the government has estimated that the floods and landslides have damaged property and infrastructure worth Rs 50 crore in Koshi Province, Independent Power Producers' Association Nepal reported that flood damaged 13 hydropower projects with a total capacity of 150MW, incurring losses to the tune of over one billion rupees. Power supply in the eastern region will be disrupted owing to heavy damage to the power plants. Security personnel from Nepali Army and police as well as elected representatives of Koshi Province made an aerial inspection of the affected areas on Sunday. Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has also instructed the concerned government agencies to speed up rescue and relief operation without fail.
It is a well-known fact that monsoon wrecks havoc in the fragile hilly and Tarai regions every year. Hundreds of people lose their lives and property, rendering them homeless without adequate supports from the government. However, the government's preparedness to deal with the yearly natural disasters appears to be meager as it does not have any robust plan of action. Most of the families who are displaced due to the floods and landslides languish in makeshift or temporary shelters without any basic amenities to be availed from the government. The three tiers of government must come up with an integrated plan of action to properly settle the affected families at safer areas to see to that they can lead a normal life aftermath of the natural disasters. Monsoon-related natural disasters cause unprecedented level of damage to individual property and physical infrastructure. All levels of government unveil their fiscal budget, but hardly allocate any budget to deal with the natural disasters. This year also, the federal, provincial and local governments brought their fiscal budgets, but there are no mentions about how they will deal with the natural disasters. In order to tackle the natural disasters, all levels of government must form a separate ministry or body, which can oversee the rescue and relief operation as well as resettlement and rehabilitation works.
Mining industries
The Federation of Nepal Crushers and Mining Industry Entrepreneurs (FNCMIE) has warned of stopping the production and distribution of mining products across the country from June 16 if the government does not direct the concerned bodies to register the renewal application of crusher and sand industries. Stating that the initiatives taken by the government over the past decade have not resolved the issues faced by the crusher industries, the federation has demanded that the government ease the renewal process of crusher and sand industries that are registered and licensed as per the law by June 30.
Crusher and mining industries are allowed to operate only after they obtain necessary approval from the Department of Geology and they are registered at the local level. The FNCMIE claimed that the industries which were operating as per the law were also shut down as a result of faulty policies introduced in the name of closing illegal crusher industries. Lack of a uniform policy, law and rules for the mobilisation of natural resources among the three levels of government has left such illegal activities unchecked. Mining stone, gravel, and sand as raw materials and processing them are two separate natures of work.
A version of this article appears in the print on June 20, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.
