Kathmandu: Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak held discussions with mayors and chairpersons of the local levels and the Chief District Officers from the disaster-hit districts. In a virtual meeting organised by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) on Saturday, Home Minister Lekhak stated that Madhes Province was declared the disaster-hit area at the proposal of the Home Ministry. He directed the chief district officers to coordinate and facilitate the tasks of identifying areas affected by drinking water and irrigation shortages, as well as determining the locations for installing deep tube-wells and deep boring.
According to National News Agency Nepal, Minister Lekhak emphasized the importance of continuing water distribution via tankers in areas lacking natural water sources or where existing sources have dried up. He instructed the concerned bodies to employ tankers from both the private sector and security bodies to ensure adequate water distribution. Additionally, Minister Lekhak highlighted the need to monitor and curb any illegal activities, such as cartels and black marketing, that exploit the crisis situation.
Dinesh Prasad Bhatta, Executive Chief of the Authority, mentioned that the Authority has reached out to UN agencies, NGOs, INGOs, and the Red Cross Society to redirect their programs towards Madhes. Furthermore, mayors, chairpersons, and Chief District Officers from the affected districts provided updates on the local situation and ongoing efforts to address the challenges.
The cabinet meeting on July 24 declared Madhes Province as a disaster-hit zone for a duration of three months. This followed a previous declaration by the Madhes Province Government on July 10, which identified the province as drought-hit due to the drying up of water sources, leading to issues with drinking water and irrigation facilities.