At a time when death toll from floods and landslides in several parts of the country following heavy rains and death has reached 42 on Saturday, Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli has directed ministers, security officials, and other stakeholders to immediately engage in rescue, relief and rehabilitation programmes of monsoon-hit homeless people.

According to National Emergency Operation Centre (NEOC), under the Ministry of Home Affairs, on Saturday alone the rescue teams have recovered additional 19 bodies, mainly from Myagdi and Jajarkot districts.

Speaking at the fourth meeting of the National Council for Disaster Reduction and Management called at Baluwatar, Oli instructed the stakeholders not to delay relief distribution and rescue of people trapped in flood, inundation, landslides and other kinds of natural disasters.

Since incessant downpour from Wednesday night, several parts of the country have been hit hard by the monsoon related disasters taking lives of dozens of people, rendering many homeless with numerous cases of missing.

“In today’s meeting, the Prime Minister specially urged all stakeholders to demonstrate a high morale of dedication and engagement in the relief, rescue and rehabilitation programs,” Chief Executive Officer at National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Authority (NDRRMA) and member-secretary of the Council, Anil Pokhrel, said.

Likewise, 300 households of Ishanath Municipality-1 in Rautahat district have also been evacuated to safe places following floods in the local river on Saturday.

“In today’s meeting, the Prime Minister specially urged all stakeholders to demonstrate a high morale of dedication and engagement in the relief, rescue and rehabilitation programmes,” Chief Executive Officer at National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Authority (NDRRMA) and member-secretary of the Council, Anil Pokhrel, said.

CEO Pokhrel informed that the Prime Minister had instructed the officials to create a diversion in Myagdi where a concrete bridge was swept away on Friday by setting up a Bailey bridge within 15 days to reestablish human mobility in the region.

At the meeting, Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba suggested that the government become serious in saving the lives of general public hit hard by the water-induced disaster.

Source: TRN