Minister Sharma directs agencies to work collaboratively during disaster time

KATHMANDU: Minister for Communications and Information Technology Rekha Sharma has directed the bodies concerned to work collaboratively in reducing the loss of lives and property resulting from monsoon-induced disasters as flood and landslide, inundation and lightning.

Taking briefing on the necessary disaster preparedness activities being done by the subordinate bodies for providing timely public awareness to be safe from monsoon-induced disaster incidents and the subsequent loss of life and property, she suggested these agencies to make the works like providing early warning and establishing prompt contact effective during times of disaster.

“The cooperation and coordination of all is required in the rescue and relief works by providing early warning of monsoon and right and timely information on disaster incidents. Give special attention to the preparedness aspect for rescue and relief,” she said, pointed out the need of making an effective management regarding preparation towards the regular communication contact as communication contact might be disrupted during the monsoon.

She also suggested the subordinate bodies of the Ministry to put in place a mechanism capable of promptly restoring the internet service by assessing the damage that disaster-related incidents can cause to the internet service delivery and the telecom services.

Before this, Ministry Secretary Baburam Bhandari said that the programme was organised to acquire information on the preparations and the strategy for the coming days that the Ministry and the subordinate bodies have adopted regarding preparedness in connection with the possible monsoon-related disasters.

On the occasion, Laxman Humagain, Chairperson of Advertisement Board, Samir Jung Shah, Chairperson of Nepal Television, Radio Nepal’s Executive Director Buddhi Bahadur KC, and Nepal Telecom’s Deputy General Manager Sangita Pahadi shared about measures and programmes prepared in view of addressing monsoon-related potential hazards and continuity of the services in such adversity.

World Food Programme’s Nepal representative, Ratindra Chhetri said they are well prepared to keep the information receiving system updated during the monsoon-related disasters.

The participants of the programme stressed the need to pay special heed to post-disaster rescue and relief efforts and the restoration of services. As they said, this year rainfall more than average has been predicted and disaster preparedness should be made accordingly.