Kathmandu: The 19th meeting of the Disaster Reduction Council today decided to continue with the search and rescue of the people missing in the disaster. With this decision, the Council has directed the Ministry of Home Affairs and all the security bodies to engage in the search and rescue works.
According to National News Agency Nepal, the Council has decided to make arrangements for taking immediate steps for operating transport services and service delivery by clearing the road obstruction, regularizing the transport and other impediments in service delivery, establishing coordination among the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport, the provincial governments, and local levels.
Similarly, the Council made a decision requiring the bodies concerned to make arrangements for restoring drinking water and power supply and communications services at places where these services have been disrupted. A policy has been determined so that relief would be distributed through the local levels from an integrated system to prevent duplication in the relief distribution.
The Council has also made a decision to move ahead through the Ministry of Home Affairs the task of providing relief to the families of the dead and missing people as per the existing laws and to make necessary arrangements from the Ministry of Health and Population to ensure the free treatment to the injured people. Likewise, a decision has been made requiring the Ministry of Water Supply to prepare for supplying safe drinking water, and the Ministry of Health and Population to conduct public awareness and psycho-social support programs and health camps in view of the possibility of disease spread in the aftermath of the disaster.
An arrangement would be made to initiate a temporary housing construction process by identifying beneficiaries in collaboration with local levels for the citizens who have lost their houses and to immediately provide the first tranche of grants as per Standard 2081. The meeting also directed the Health Ministry to pay special attention to health service, cleanliness, and medicine supply, urging the Education Ministry to provide space for the construction of temporary shelters for recently disaster-affected people at school premises.
Extending gratitude towards Nepali Army, Armed Police Force Nepal, Nepal Police, Red Cross, and other volunteer organizations for their active contribution in rescue operation and relief distribution, the meeting asked the Mental Health Section under the Health Ministry to run programs in coordination with local levels for psychological support. Similarly, the meeting also passed a proposal for a study regarding the construction of houses for long-term preparation for emergency situations and strengthening coordination among ministries.
On the occasion, an extensive review was carried out about damages, rescue, and rehabilitation after rainfall occurred from October 3, wreaking havoc in various places of the country. The meeting also directed the Home Ministry and all security bodies to continue the search for the missing people and rescue operations.