Jhapa taking measures to mitigate flood impacts

Damak, July 24: The district of Jhapa faces a litany of disasters every year: fire, tuskers’ terror, road accidents, bird flu, lightning, drought, among others. But none is as severe as or more so than the disaster unleashed by floods during the monsoon, mentions the District Disaster Preparedness and Response Plan 2079. 

The district administration office has been conducting a host of activities to mitigate or avert the loss of life and property resulting from natural or man-made disasters since 2010. It has been preparing disaster preparedness and response plans and has been acting accordingly.

Chief District Officer Chabilal Rijal said that Jhapa district is especially prone to flooding. Based on the statistics on disasters of the last five years, the flood forecasting branch of the office has predicted that more than 10,000 families are likely to get affected by floods this year. 

As mentioned in the plan, 11 of the 15 municipalities of the district – Damak, Shivasatakshi, Gauradah, Kankai, Arjundhara and Bhadrapur, Kamal, Gaurigunj, Jhapa, Bahdashi and Kachankawal – are at high risk of flooding. 

Many municipalities are facing high risk due to the floods coming from Kankai, Ratuwa, Biring, Kamal/Baniani, Mechi, Ninda, Hadia, Taiting/Nete rivers in the district. The plan puts Mechinagar and Birtamod municipalities at medium-level risk, while Haldibari and Buddhashanti at low risk.

Rijal said that a meeting was held between the stakeholders on June 8 to execute the district- level disaster preparedness and response plan, based on the advice and suggestions received from the stakeholders.

He said that the main objective of the plan was to inform the vulnerable communities in an effective manner, to provide immediate relief and rescue services to the affected and to protect the communities from harm’s way.

According to Lokraj Dhakal of Nepal Red Cross Society, capacity analysis and classification of the district’s disaster and emergency preparedness, flood response learning and exchange of experiences have been completed. Likewise, a blueprint has been prepared based on those completed works and information has been collected after bringing clarity in the blueprint of the plan.

To warn about imminent flooding, mikes, sirens and cycles have been given to at-risk municipality.