KATHMANDU — Prime Minister Balendra (Balen) Shah has informed about the rescue, search and relief work carried out so far for the people affected by the Rasuwa floods.
Prime Minister Shah informed about the activities after the Rasuwa floods through his Facebook page. According to him, more than Rs 5.04 billion has been received in the Prime Minister’s Natural Disaster Relief Fund and the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund so far.
Here are the updates from PM Shah on Rasuwa floods
Relief Collection: The Government of Nepal is collecting financial assistance for the victims through the Prime Minister’s Natural Disaster Fund and the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund. The Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers has launched the ‘Rescue Request Portal’ and has made public the complete details of the amount received in these funds so far from home and abroad in a completely transparent manner. As of this afternoon, Rs 5,04,46,81,369 has been deposited in the accounts of nine commercial banks in the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund.
Similarly, an additional $ 18,08,189 has been deposited in Himalayan and Laxmi Bank. In order to make transparent use of the assistance received in this difficult situation of disaster, proper management and to avoid possible financial fraud, financial assistance is requested to be given only in the official ‘QR code’ and account name (Prime Minister’s Natural Disaster Fund and Prime Minister’s Fund) released by the government. The details of the account are available on the official website of the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers. In order to make transparent use of the assistance received in this difficult situation of disaster, proper management and to avoid possible financial fraud, financial assistance is requested to be given only in the official ‘QR Code’ code and the name of the account (Prime Minister’s Natural Disaster Fund and Prime Minister’s Fund) made public by the government. The details of the account are available on the official website of the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers.
The government is also working for the smooth management of food and other daily essentials of the victims.
Relief materials are being collected at the warehouse of Tribhuvan Airport, Kathmandu District Administration Office, Nepal Police’s Disaster Training Centre at Samakhusi and Urban Development and Building Construction Department premises at Babarmahal. The collected relief materials are being transported to the Nepal Army’s Maithil Barrack at Battar of Nuwakot and Uttargaya of Rasuwa. In addition, the relief materials collected from Maithil Barracks have been transported to the Baireni Police Office in Dhading and the Nepal Army’s Brabel Barrack in Dhunche, Rusuwa. A committee comprising security personnel and other stakeholders under the coordination of Assistant Chief District Officer of the District Administration Office has been distributing the relief materials collected there.
Today, food supplies were transported from Tribhuvan International Airport to Dhunche of Rasuwa by MI-17 helicopter. In addition to this, essential food and non-food relief and rescue materials have been sent to Dhunche and Uttargaya rural municipalities by land route today. Various organizations and support agencies are also sending relief materials directly to the concerned contact points of the concerned District Administration Offices.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has committed 5 million US dollars in grants, 167 million US dollars concessional loan from the World Bank, 500,000 US dollars from the US government and 1 million US dollars (cash support) from the Australian government for the management and rehabilitation of the affected people.TAG_CLOSE_span_52 TAG_OPEN_span_52
In addition, a total of 57.5 tonnes of humanitarian aid and essential medicines have been received from the Government of India so far in three phases. The same aid is also coming from China and the United States. 30 belligerent assistance has been requested from China. 2,000 from India and 2,000 from China have been received for the management of dead bodies.
From Switzerland, 1 million Swiss francs (United Nations) have been spent. Similarly, support from various international organizations continues.
{{TAG_OPEN_span_51}Search and Rescue: Despite adverse weather and difficult geographical conditions, 7,514 people have been successfully rescued from the affected areas by air and land as of 5:30 pm today. Of them, 279 people trapped in various hydropower projects have been rescued while the Nepal Army is continuing its rescue efforts in the remaining areas. Indian and Chinese experts have been working in coordination with the Nepal Army in the rescue operation.
So far, 236 flights have been conducted in the affected areas using 16 helicopters from the Nepal Army and private sector for rescue operations. A total of 18,708 security personnel including Nepal Army, Nepal Police and Armed Police Force Nepal have been deployed in the affected areas. Taking into account the suggestions and complaints received from us, the number of security personnel deployed in the affected areas is being increased every day and more helicopters have been kept on standby. However, due to the geographical situation and adverse weather, not many flights have been made at once. It has also been decided to increase the daily lunch and incentive allowance to keep the morale of the security personnel deployed at risk of their lives. We are also taking help from the international community as per the need during the rescue.
Treatment and Psycho-Counseling: We are treating the seriously injured people rescued from the affected areas by bringing them to various hospitals in Kathmandu. Other injured are being treated continuously by a medical team consisting of various specialists who have set up mobile hospitals at the Nepal Army barracks at Dhunche of Rasuwa and Battar of Nuwakot. Similarly, a team of doctors from Kathmandu is providing health services from 5 places including Dhunche, Syafrubesi, Rasuwa Hospital and 2 in Heli area. In addition, we are also providing psycho-counseling services to the injured and their family members. For easy availability of blood in hospitals, the government has made arrangements to publicly inform about how much blood is available in which hospital by running a ‘Blood Information Portal’. We have already started providing health services in the affected areas. The injured people are recovering and going home for treatment in various hospitals.
Civilian Management: Three camps have been set up in Rusuwa and 15 in Nuwakot in coordination with the District Administration Office and local levels for the affected people except the injured rescued from the affected areas. The federal government has been continuously sending relief materials for these camps.
Mechanisms of Nepal Red Cross, Nepal Scouts, Lions Clubs and other voluntary organizations have also been mobilized. Temporary accommodation has been arranged in schools and public÷community buildings to immediately settle about 3,500 people displaced by the floods. A total of Rs 6.75 crore has been released for the operation of essential services in 15 local levels of 5 districts affected by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority.
Communication Contact: 120 NTC and 78 NTS towers of Ncell were in operation in the affected areas, while the floods disrupted the services of 38 towers of Nepal Telecom and 27 towers of Ncell. In some places, the towers were badly damaged and in some places there was a shortage of energy. The government has immediately brought the towers back into operation by transporting fuel, solar panels and generators through helicopters and roadways. Of them, 90 towers of Nepal Telecom and 71 of Ncell have been brought into operation so far, while repair work is underway to bring the remaining towers into operation soon.
Alternative Road Operation: The Kathmandu-Tokha-Chhahare-Gadkhar Bridge-Apra-Narja-Lachyang-Sarmathali-Patikharka and Bogatitar-Kalikasthan-Dhunche road sections have been repaired to allow the operation of four-wheelers and small vehicles. With the opening of this road section, Rasuwa has been connected to the national road network again.
Similarly, the Prithvi Highway has been fully brought into operation by removing the silt piled up on the 13-km Galchi-Malekhu section of the Prithvi Highway. An alternative road to Dhadingbesi has been reopened. With the operation of the road connecting Master via Parewatar-Nepaltar-Gajuritar-Pipaltar-Adamtar-Belintar-Keurinitar, Dhadingbesi has been connected to the road network again.
Dead bodies: So far, 675 bodies have been found in different places of Rasuwa, Dhading, Nuwakot, Chitwan, Tanahun, Gorkha, Nawalparasi East and Nawalparasi West. The bodies found are being managed in air-tight bags. These bodies are being managed as per the ‘Unidentified and Unclaimed Bodies Management (First Amendment) Directive, 2083’. The government is going to manage the bodies found on their own, keeping the DNA and other criteria to support their identification. The bodies identified by the families are being handed over to them. Therefore, we request everyone not to be confused about this.
The Government of Nepal expresses its heartfelt gratitude to all the citizens, security personnel, civil servants, and voluntary organizations for their patience, promptness and cooperation in this difficult time of disaster. In times of disaster, society is looking for trust, right direction and truth. Therefore, we also request the media and social media users to disseminate information to save the lives of the victims and boost their morale.
The Government of Nepal stands with the affected people and will continue their rescue and rehabilitation efforts until results are available.
Prime Minister Shah has said that the government of Nepal is very serious and sensitive towards the devastating floods in the Bhotekoshi River in Rasuwa district on August 23 that caused huge loss of life and property in Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading and other coastal areas. “The government is intensifying rescue, search and relief operations in the affected areas immediately after the floods,” he said.
According to Prime Minister Shah, this work has been continued with full capacity with continuous coordination, collaboration and facilitation with the people’s representatives and employees of the federal, provincial and local levels. “We would like to reiterate that saving the life of every citizen affected by all the mechanisms of the state is the first priority of the government,” he said.
