PM instructs for post-disaster relief reconstruction work

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Oct. 19: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has urged all three levels of government to seriously engage in relief distribution and reconstruction work following the massive disasters caused by heavy rainfall from September 26 to 28 in Nepal. 

He also described the crisis invited by the floods and landslides as a major disaster, comparable to the devastating earthquake of 2015.

During the 14th meeting of the National Council for Disaster Risk Reduction and Management held at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers (OPMCM) in Singha Durbar on Friday, Prime Minister Oli, who chairs the council, paid tribute to those who lost their lives in the recent disaster. 

He emphasised that search, rescue, relief and reconstruction efforts were being conducted with utmost seriousness. “In the current situation, what needs to be done and what can be done? The three levels of government must work in a coordinated manner,” said Prime Minister Oli. 

“Our focus should be on how to quickly provide relief and housing to the affected people. There may be criticism in society, but we must ignore that and foster a spirit of cooperation to face the disaster together,” said PM Oli.

Prime Minister Oli also thanked the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport Management, the security agencies, and all concerned parties for their efforts in reopening blocked highways and roads connecting the Capital before Dashain festival.

The Prime Minister has also directed that funds for the construction of temporary housing be disbursed by mid-November. He has also instructed the ministry to restore disrupted services such as electricity, health and drinking water within 15 days.

PM Oli directed that a detailed assessment of the damage following the disaster be conducted promptly, and a conference be organised with the participation of donor agencies or foreign governments to gather the necessary funds for reconstruction works. He emphasised that the reconstruction works should proceed in a planned manner with the assistance provided by donor agencies.

Stressing the need to compensate farmers for their crop losses, he also instructed that repairs of the damaged canals should be completed by May, 2025.

PM Oli stated that since Nepal is at risk of earthquakes, landslides, and climate change-related disasters, preparations should be made for policy formulation and the development of secure, integrated settlements. He called for relocating those who live in high-risk areas without alternative housing and removing people who have other homes but are staying in risky areas.

For the safety of the country and its people, he suggested expanding forest areas in landslide-prone regions in a transparent manner and moving forward with plans to develop safe settlements in certain forest areas.

Meanwhile, the 14th meeting of the National Council of NDRRMA decided that any level of government—federal, provincial, or local—must conduct disaster reassessment before undertaking reconstruction and rehabilitation works.

The decision was made in the national council meeting chaired by Prime Minister and Chairman of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority Executive Committee at the Prime Minister’s Office.

The meeting concluded that reconstruction and rehabilitation works should o be carried out only in coordination with the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority under the Ministry of Home Affairs, according to the authority’s Joint Secretary, Basanta Adhikari.

According to him, the meeting also approved the decisions made by the executive committee meeting held on Thursday, which included a detailed damage assessment for reconstruction and rehabilitation.

The council meeting determined that all three levels of government must establish a timeline for reconstruction and rehabilitation works, from temporary to permanent solutions, Joint Secretary Adhikari said.

Council members, the two Deputy Prime Ministers, ministers, Provincial Chief Ministers, the Chief Secretary, and heads of security agencies, were present in the meeting. 

Shakti Bahadur Basnet, the representative of the leader of the main opposition party, who is a member of the council, was also present at the meeting. 

Anil Pokhrel, Executive Chief Officer of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority and Member Secretary of the Council, said that due to this year’s monsoon disaster, which had the highest rainfall in 54 years, 250 people, including both locals and foreigners, died.

According to preliminary studies, the damage is estimated to be around Rs. 46 billion. The government has already declared 71 local levels as severely affected ones by the recent monsoon-induced disasters.