Kathmandu. Most areas of Ilam district are under blockade after floods and landslides blocked the main and auxiliary roads.
Although the state and local governments have started distributing relief to the flood victims, the federal government’s relief program has not yet reached the doorsteps of the victims.
A meeting of the National Council for Disaster Management on Tuesday decided to provide Rs two lakh to the families of the deceased as per the approved criteria.
The meeting also decided to provide Rs 50,000 to those displaced by floods and landslides for the construction of temporary shelters, according to National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) Executive Engineer Dinesh Prasad Bhatta. According to him, it has been decided to provide Rs 25,000 immediately for the construction of temporary shelters and Rs 25,000 for the construction of the housing structures.
Floods and landslides have caused a huge loss of life and property in Ilam district. According to the District Administration Office, Ilam, 276 families have been displaced. A total of 132 houses have been completely damaged and 401 houses have been partially damaged.
Security personnel in collaboration with the local government have started construction of temporary shelters for the families displaced by the landslide. Floods and landslides have damaged 15 out of 17 hydropower projects in Ilam district.
The Koshi Provincial Government continues to send relief materials to the families affected by the recent floods and landslides. The state government has started distributing relief materials through helicopters from Tuesday. According to the state government, relief materials have been distributed in Maijogmai, Mai and Ilam municipalities.
He said that the state government will provide Rs 1 lakh each to the families of the deceased. The provincial government has also decided to reconstruct all the houses in Ilam, Jhapa and Morang districts.
What the federal government is doing after declaring a threatened area:
A meeting of the Council of Ministers on Thursday evening declared Ilam a disaster-hit zone, suspending leave for all security personnel and government employees of essential service.
It will be formalized only after the decision of the Council of Ministers is published in the Gazette. However, with the decision of the Council of Ministers, the leave of security personnel and civil servants has been suspended.
Clause 32 of the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act, 2074 BS states that if it is deemed necessary to declare any area of Nepal as a disaster-hit zone due to a serious disaster, the government of Nepal may, by publishing a notification in the Nepal Gazette, declare such area as a disaster-hit zone specifying the boundaries and period.
If the situation arising out of the disaster could not be controlled during the period declared as a crisis, the government may, by publishing a notice in the Nepal Gazette, extend the period of such declaration.
Although Ilam district has been declared a crisis-hit zone for three months, the government can withdraw the declaration at any time by publishing a notice in the Nepal Gazette if there is no disaster situation.
According to Section 33 of the Act, the government may order any person, institution or official to carry out any or all of the following activities in the area declared as disaster-affected:
1. To close the government, non-governmental offices, educational institutions or other institutions for a period of time as per the need
in such areas.
2) Not to allow any action that may adversely affect the rescue operation in such areas
3. To deploy employees of government or non-government offices, educational institutions or other institutions
4. If it is necessary to use movable and immovable property of non-governmental offices, educational institutions, other institutions and individuals for the purpose of disaster relief work, to maintain records and use them temporarily for the specified period
.
5) To use and mobilize government resources and resources,
6. To keep records of the vehicles of non-governmental organizations, educational institutions, other organizations or individuals throughout the concerned district and take them under control for a certain period.
7. Foodstuffs, clothes, medicines, construction materials and other materials of non-governmental offices, educational institutions and other people of the concerned district should be kept and taken under control and distributed to the disaster-affected people
.
8. To take necessary measures to protect the land, houses, factories, schools, religious places and other such important objects and places in such areas from destruction
.
9. To form support teams and send them to disaster-affected areas, to restrict transportation and movement of people
to disaster-affected areas.
10. To arrange for other necessary security measures to protect the life and property of the general public
.
11) To carry out other activities as may be necessary for disaster management
It is the duty of the concerned person, institution or official to obey the orders issued by the government official in the disaster-hit area.
Image courtesy: Nepal Army
