Tilathi Koiladi to introduce DRR in school curriculum

BY BINAY KARNA,Saptari, June 22: Tilathi Koiladi Rural Municipality of Saptari, which is at high risk of flooding, has decided to implement disaster risk reduction (DRR) education in schools. The education programme will be introduced as a local curriculum in both community and institutional schools up to grade 8 at the basic level.

Rural Municipality Chairman Arun Kumar Mandal, while presenting the budget, policies, and programmes for the upcoming fiscal year 2025/26 during the 12th rural assembly on Friday, announced that necessary provisions would be made to implement disaster risk reduction education.

The policies and programmes also mention the installation of lightning protection systems in community schools, the development of comprehensive school safety plans to protect against disasters, and the introduction and implementation of targeted programmes for returnees from foreign employment.

Giving priority to agriculture, education, health, and disaster management, the budget also includes a youth mobilisation campaign to address climate change and disaster risk reduction. Chairman Mandal presented a total budget of Rs. 438.419 million for the upcoming fiscal year.

Of the total budget, Rs. 328.815 million has been allocated for recurrent (operational) expenditures and Rs. 109.604 million for capital expenditures.

According to Chief Administrative Officer Saroj Kumar Karna, the rural municipality's estimated internal revenue is Rs. 26.14 million. In terms of external funding, the municipality expects to receive Rs. 106.7 million through fiscal equalization grants from the federal government, Rs. 191 million in conditional grants, Rs. 89.079 million through federal revenue sharing, and Rs. 4.5 million through revenue sharing from the provincial government.