Govt Releases Rs. 200M For Disaster Relief, Rehabilitation In 14 Districts


As the monsoon season sets in, the government has released relief amount worth Rs. 200 million for relief and rehabilitation programmes in 14 disaster-hit districts.
“This budget disbursed by the central government to the local bodies is meant only for 14 districts including Gulmi, Sindhupalchowk, Baglung, Myagdi, Palpa, Nuwakot,” Liladhar Adhikari, spokesperson and under-secretary for National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Authority (NDRRMA), said.
“It’s good that the government has allocated the budget, albeit late,” Adhikari said. “We have already started managing the homeless and affected people from Myagdi for reconstructing their private homes in safer zone.”
“If the flood or landslide affected and homeless people wish to shift or make their homes in government provided safe zone, the government can support them additional Rs. 100, 000,” he said.
According to Ganesh Bahadur Adhikari, Chief District Officer of Myagdi, 247 houses were completely damaged in the monsoon last year and 821 houses are at high risk. Marang, Kalleri, Ramche and Rikha of Dhawalagiri Rural Municipality and Bim, Dule and Nurwang of Malika Rural Municipality are the most affected areas.
Similarly, Shiva Kumar Karki, CDO of Baglung, said, almost all the Rural Municipalities in the district have either partially or completely been affected by floods and landslides in one way or another.
Dhorpatan and Nisikhola villages are at higher risk. Some settlements have to be relocated.
He said, “a total of 636 families are on the beneficiary list. We have already sent the list of all the beneficiaries to the NDRRMA.” It is hoped that the budget will be allocated within a week.
Meanwhile, Arun Pokharel, CDO of Sindhupalchowk, said that no decision has been taken yet on the need to relocate about 1,100 families.
“We do not have enough materials and technical manpower for post-disaster rescue,” he said. “We have to depend on the centre even for small problems.”
According to Pokhrel, the authority under the Ministry of Home Affairs at the centre manages technical manpower and expenses.
Last year, a committee formed to identify and immediately relocate risky settlements in Sindhupalchowk, had suggested immediate relocation of eight settlements including Jugal, Bhotekoshi, Helambu and Barhabise Rural Municipalities and Melamchi Municipality.
Among the settlements to be relocated immediately, Lidi was suggested to be shifted to Banskharka, Sano Nampha to Thulo Nampha, Bolai to Chamarga, Larcha to Gumbadanda, Jambu to Khagdaltar, Thakni to Okhrechaur, Amale to Lower Amale and Bolde of Helambu to Bahunkharka.
Last year, on September 24, the government had declared Sindhupalchowk and Baglung as crisis-hit region. 

Source : THE RISING NEPAL,