‘Include disaster mgmt. topic at school level curriculum’

By Laxmi Chaudhary 

Janakpurdham, June 19: The Chief Minister of Madhes Province, Satish Kumar Singh, requested that disaster management programmes be introduced at the school level.

During the Monsoon Preparedness and Response Plan 2081, workshop and interaction programme held in Janakpurdham on Tuesday, Madhes Chief Minister Singh emphasised the importance of providing disaster management training to the youth, recommending that such initiatives start at the school level.

He urged the youth to participate in future disaster management training, noting that he had previously observed only the elderly attending such sessions.

He emphasised that school children are the future leaders, making it essential to involve them in disaster management training.

He said, "In the past, only citizens aged over 60 years attended disaster management training, but this should change. This training is an investment that protects us from risks, so we need to start this at the school level."

He shared his experience as the chairman of the rural municipality, noting that in Madhes Province, disaster management response programmes were previously conducted by non-governmental organisations. 

He added that the policies and programmes for the next fiscal year would continue to allow involvement from both non-governmental and international non-governmental organisations.

He said, “Let us work hand in hand in Madhes. The province is ready to cooperate with you. Let’s minimise disaster risks and help those affected by disasters in the province.”

According to the Chief Minister, the fire victims in Madhes suffer more because the government has policies to rebuild houses damaged by earthquakes but lacks policies to rebuild houses destroyed by fire.

Chief Minister Singh stated that it was necessary to relax such restrictive laws, as they hinder support for those affected by calamities. 

He said, “Insurance will cover the loss of the family affected by the disaster.”

Chief Minister Singh highlighted that the Tarai Madhes faces recurring problems such as drought and extreme cold in winter, heat waves and fires in summer and lightning during the rainy season. 

He emphasied the need for eliminating ineffective laws at the federal level to better mitigate the effects of these disasters.

Similarly, the Deputy Secretary and Spokesperson of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, Dijon Bhattarai, said that the province government plays a crucial role in disaster risk reduction.