Jumla: More than 1,500 disaster-prone houses have been insured in Sinja rural municipality of Jumla district as part of a disaster risk insurance programme. A two-member team, mobilized by the rural municipality, conducted a survey across all six wards and insured the houses identified as vulnerable.
According to National News Agency Nepal, Purna Prasad Dhital, Chairperson of the rural municipality, stated that 1,545 houses were insured under a programme approved by the Ministry for Internal Affairs and Law of the Karnali Province government for the current fiscal year. He explained that Sinja rural municipality was selected for the insurance scheme after meeting the prescribed criteria.
The procedure for implementing the house insurance programme was endorsed by the cabinet meeting of the Karnali province government on February 25. Under this scheme, the Ministry covers insurance premiums based on risk assessments, with a maximum coverage of Rs 2.3 million per house. Insured families affected by disasters such as earthquakes, fires, floods, inundations, and windstorms will receive compensation.
The provincial government will cover the insurance cost for one house per family, allocating Rs 47.5 million for house insurance this fiscal year. To date, the Karnali Province government has insured 16,000 disaster-prone houses with total coverage amounting to Rs 11.5 billion, as reported by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Law.