By Purushottam P. Khatri
Kathmandu, Sept. 21: The government is soon introducing a monsoon-induced disaster rehabilitation programme by offering safe shelter and land to all the people affected by the floods and landslides.
Under the programme, the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Authority (NDRRMA) is soon preparing a report for the rehabilitation and relocation of people hit by the landslides and floods in safer places.
A team led by CEO of NDRRMA Anil Pokhrel and five others officials representing the Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Urban Development, and other concerned Ministries have been handed over the responsibility to prepare a detail report about the programme to rehabilitate and relocate the people rendered homeless in the natural disasters.
Other officials representing in the Pokhrel-led committee have not yet been confirmed, Joint Secretary and spokesperson at the NDRRMA Murari Wosti said.
The government has mainly been working on two policies while rehabilitating and relocating the people hit hard by the floods and landslides. First, it will relocate the human settlements which are more vulnerable, and secondly, it will provide safe land for building homes upon their own will by choosing the government-provided land. The government would also assist them financially in constructing homes, CEO of NDRRMA Pokhrel said.
Houses for the landslide and flood victims would be built as per the given and approved models that have been implemented by the National Reconstruction Authority (NRA) for reconstructing the earthquake-damaged houses.
According to the NDRRMA, the government (Ministry of Home Affairs) had already decided to provide Rs. 300,000 to each household, whose houses were completely damaged by floods and landslide if they want to construct another new home.
Also, the government has decided to provide a certain land area for the landless people, whose houses, built on the land whose land owner certificate is not with them, were damaged, and if they don't wish to stay in the same land, the government will provide them Rs. 200,000 to manage alternative land.
According to a record of the Ministry of Home Affairs as referred by Minister for Home Affairs Ram Bahadur Thapa at the meeting of the State Affairs and Good Governance Committee of the Federal Parliament on September 18,, the monsoon this year had caused huge a impact, including heavy human casualties mainly in Sindhupalchowk, Baglung and Kalikot districts.
During the meeting, he told that the monsoon-induced disaster this year had affected 49 districts, where 482 houses were completely damaged.
He also told that the government had, as of September 17, released Rs. 56.9 million from the Disaster Risk Management Fund of the government for relief distribution.
In the last five months from April, 374 people had lost their lives and 101 went missing in different natural disasters.
Of them, 271 were killed, 62 went missing and 206 sustained injuries in the landslides.
Floods have caused less damages this year compared to the record of last year record, according to Minister Thapa.
Floods took life of 39 people, while 35 went and 12 injured in the flood related disasters.
Similarly, lightning struck killed 64 people and injured 203 in the last five months.