Kathmandu, Nov. 23: Prime Minister and Nepali Congress (NC) President Sher Bahadur Deuba has said necessary talks are underway to announce Bajhang district a disaster-hit area.

During his meeting with a delegation of the people’s representatives from Bajhang today, the Prime Minister said it. On the occasion, the delegation put forth several demands including the declaration of the district as a landslide/flood-hit zone. It may be noted that post-monsoon rains from October 17 to 19 resulted in a huge loss of lives and property in the district.

During the meeting, the Prime Minister said he had visited the district immediately after the disaster and discussions were underway to ensure required support for the survivors and rebuild the damaged structures. Underlining the need of resuming the supplies of essentials including foods promptly to the district, he said talks with donor agencies were going to restore the damaged roads.

Federal and local representatives of all parties in Bajhang had apprised the Prime Minister about the details of loss in the district.

A total of 31 people had lost their lives to the disasters which turned a thousand of hectares of arable lands to the desert. Over 500 families were rendered homeless and over 200 families lost all assets in the disasters.

Almost all government and non-government physical infrastructures, roads, school buildings, irrigation projects, health institutions, public buildings, religious sites, suspensions bridges, powerhouses and cemented motorable bridges were swept away by the flood.

The delegation requested the government to promptly manage relief and compensation to the survivors, to establish a separate project for rebuilding the damaged physical infrastructures, to launch ‘work for pay’ programme, and to shift the settlement at risk to safer locations.

They also demanded for incorporating the Chainpur Taklakot Road that serves as the shortest tri-national point connecting South Asia into the project of national pride and accelerating the construction works.

Lawmaker Bhairav Bahadur Singh, Prakash Rasaili, Chandra Devi Joshi, Afilal Okheda, District Coordination Committee coordinator Khadka Bahadur Khadka, district-based major political parties local leaders, chiefs of all local levels and Civil Society representatives were in the delegation.