By A Staff Reporter
Bhaktapur, Jan. 16: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has expressed his commitment to making disaster risk reduction works sustainable and result-oriented.
In his message to an event organised on the occasion of the 23rd Earthquake Safety Day at Bode of Madhyapur Thimi Municipality here on Friday, Prime Minister Oli stressed the need for moving ahead by cooperating with all the local bodies and citizens to reduce the loss of life and property in the disasters, including earthquakes.
“The country has been repeatedly affected by floods, landslides, epidemics, fires, earthquakes and other calamities,” he said.
The programme was observed with the slogan “Earthquake safety, protection of lives of people in public cooperation.”
Prime Minister Oli said that an action was passed this week to rebuild thousands of houses across the country damaged by the floods and landslides.
According to the action plan, Rs. 500,000 per household will be provided to the beneficiaries in the Himalayan districts, Rs. 400,000 per household in the hilly districts and Rs. 300,000 to each household in the Terai districts to rebuild the their damaged houses in a safe place.
Addressing the programme, Minister for Home Affairs Ram Bahadur Thapa ‘Badal’ said that cooperation, coordination and mutual assistance would be essential to tackle natural calamities.
He said that special attention should be paid while constructing houses and physical structures to remain safe from the earthquakes, he said.
“If the infrastructure is strong and earthquake resistant, there will be no loss of life and property,” Minister Badal said.
He also urged everyone to construct their houses and structure following the earthquake safety measures to minimise the loss in the future. “Not only the government but also the citizens should be responsible while building structures,” he said.
He said that everyone should take initiative to prevent human and material losses in the coming days by learning a lesson from the April 2015 earthquake.
Sushil Gyawali, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Reconstruction Authority (NRA), said that 91 per cent of the individual housing reconstruction work has completed so far. “More than 6,000 school buildings have been reconstructed with closer coordination and help from every sector, including locals.
The 2015 earthquake has turned into an opportunity for reconstruction even though it had caused great economic, material and human damages.
CEO of the Disaster and Management Authority Anil Pokharel expressed confidence that the experience and knowledge of the post-earthquake disaster management would be useful in the days to come.
Madan Sundar Shrestha, Mayor of Madhyapur Thimi Municipality, said that the municipality had emphasised on full implementation of the building code. He said that the municipality reconstructed 25 resting places (party-pauwa), 20 stone spouts, five ponds and heritages and temples in the area.
“We have established a disaster management committee in every ward and have been planning to give training on the rescue operations during the time of the disaster,” Mayor Shrestha said.
Similarly, Director General of the Department of Urban Development and Building Construction Padma Kumar Mainali, Executive Director of the National Society for Earthquake Technology Nepal Surya Narayan Shrestha, UN Representative Isoni Lavela and others emphasised on the role of earthquake safety awareness.