Emergency warehouse handed over to Gandaki Province govt

By Phadindra Adhikari,Lekhnath, Apr. 19: The emergency warehouse built inside the Pokhara airport has been handed over to the Gandaki Province government as part of the government's effort to decentralise disaster management and ensure regional preparedness.

Minister for Home Affairs Ramesh Lekhak handed over the warehouse to Gandaki Province Chief Minister Surendra Raj Pandey amidst a special programme organised by the Ministry of Home Affairs on Friday.

At the programme, Home Minister Lekhak said that every local level should construct warehouses as per the requirement. He said that all geographical areas of Nepal are at risk of disasters and mentioned that precautions should always be taken.

“We are at high risk of natural disasters. We should be prepared for any kind of disaster that may strike at any time,” he said. The Home Minister said that a policy has been taken to hand over the warehouses built in all provinces to the respective provincial governments, aiming to decentralise disaster response and rescue.

At the programme, Gandaki Province CM Pandey said that once the warehouses are constructed, it would be easier to work through a single-door system. Stating that Gandaki is a disaster-prone province, CM Pandey stressed that the three levels of government, security agencies and local communities should work together during disasters.

The World Food Programme has built the emergency warehouse at the old airport in Pokhara to provide necessary relief to the districts of Gandaki Province during disasters. The warehouse has been built with the support of the European Union to store emergency relief and rescue materials.

This warehouse, built at a cost of 161,000 US dollars, has a capacity to store 700 tonnes of relief and rescue materials. The warehouse, whose construction began in mid-March 2024, was put into operation in September, 2024.

The World Food Programme has already set up humanitarian aid sites in 11 places in the country, including Kathmandu, Bhairahawa, Dhangadhi, Birgunj and Bardibas. All the warehouses located outside the capital will now be managed by the concerned provincial governments.