Nepalmountainnews Report | 2 Jul 2008
A Home Ministry official today warned that the monsoon this year could create more havoc than in the previous years.
“The monsoon is almost a regular phenomenon but it could spell more disaster this year,” said Thir Bahadur GC, undersecretary at the ministry and head of the Natural Disaster Management Section.
In 2007, more than half of the country’s territory was badly affected by floods during the monsoon, which claimed 148 lives. According to government records, floods hit 47 districts, displacing more than 24,116 families and destroying over 24,815 houses. Nepal ranks 31 among 196 countries of the world in terms of threats of water-induced disasters, according to GC.
Besides sweeping away of agriculture land, the whole Tarai belt was facing the threat of water logging due to constructions made by India near the border, he said. “Kaliali, Bardiya, Banke, Kapilbastu, Dhanusha, Mahottari, Siraha and Saptari are going to be affected more,” he said.
To add to it, glaciers in the mountains are slowly melting and possibility of an outburst of glacial lakes is also growing.
A pre-monsoon disaster preparedness workshop on May 2 drew commitment from political parties and other stakeholders to support the government on disaster mitigation. The government has identified Jhapa, Morang, Sunsari, Saptari, Siraha, Udayapur, Dhanusa, Sindhuli, Mahottari, Sarlahi, Rautahat, Bara, Parsha, Makawanpur, Chitwan, Nawalparasi, Rupendehai, Kapilwastu, Dang, Bakne, Bardia, Kailali, Kanchanpur, Rasuwa, Doti and Kalikot as flood-prone districts.
GC said though challenges in mitigating the impact of natural disaster were growing, the government was still adopting a normal course of response.
“Though the threats are growing, we have not been able to mitigate the damage.
We are doing our best in raising awareness but I have to admit that we are not doing satisfactorily on preparedness,” he said.
He said the lack of coordination among the concerned ministries — the Ministry of Physical Planning and Works, Ministry of Forest, Ministry of Land Management — was to be partially blamed for poor flood preparedness.
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