Govt establishing emergency warehouses in each municipality

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Mar. 22: The Ministry of Home Affairs has initiated efforts to manage emergency warehouses stocked with essential materials for disaster response across all local levels in the country. 

A meeting of the thematic committee, chaired by Minister for Home Affairs Ramesh Lekhak, held on Friday at the Ministry of Home Affairs, decided to enhance disaster risk reduction efforts by mapping risk areas, constructing safe shelters, and implementing preparedness, response, recovery, and rehabilitation measures. 

These tasks will be carried out in a coordinated manner by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, Provincial Disaster Management Committees, District Disaster Management Committees and Local Disaster Management Committees.

Additionally, the meeting decided that Nepal Police will assist in strengthening the capacity of municipal police as per the demand, said  Joint Secretary and Spokesperson for the Home Ministry Ram Chandra Tiwari after the meeting. 

He said that collaboration would be further strengthened to formulate policies, programmes and infrastructure to address growing security challenges such as drug abuse, suicide, road accidents, and cybercrime and ensure the safety of citizens and their property.

The ministry also announced that it would coordinate with provincial governments to amend necessary laws and make administrative preparations to finalise police integration.

"The overall security situation of the country and regional security challenges have been analysed and reviewed," said Tiwari. "Decisions made in the meeting, along with the received suggestions, will be submitted to the National Coordination Council."

The Ministry of Home Affairs emphasised its commitment to neutralising the activities against the constitution and governance, closely monitoring and controlling emerging security threats, and ensuring public safety by strengthening cooperation between the ministry and relevant provincial government departments. Speaking at the meeting, Home Minister Lekhak said that the process of transferring regional emergency warehouses to provincial governments had already begun. 

"We have already handed over warehouses to the provincial governments of Karnali and Sudurpashchim," he said. "We will continue to transfer warehouses to other provinces and ensure their operation at the municipal level with the cooperation of the provincial and local governments."

The meeting was attended by Gandaki Province Chief Minister Surendra Pandey, Sudurpaschim Province Minister for Internal Affairs and Law Hira Sarki, Bagmati Province Minister for Internal Affairs and Law Suraj Chandra Lamichhane, President of the Municipal Association of Nepal Bhim Prasad Dhungana, President of the National Association of Rural Municipalities Laxmi Pandey, Home Secretary Gokarna Mani Dawadee,  Inspector General of Police Deepak Thapa, Armed Police Force Inspector General Raju Aryal and  Executive Chief of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority Dr. Dinesh Bhatta, among others.