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| Kathmandu, Friday December 27, 2002 Paush 12, 2059. |
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Stress on pre-disaster safety
measures
Post Report
KATHMANDU, Dec 26:There is a growing
vulnerability of disasters resulting in soaring toll on life and property in the country,
but there is a lack of pre-disaster safety measures, geographers and experts working in
the field of disaster management said here today.
Speaking at a discussion programme on "Our
Mountains, Our Settlement and Flood-Landslides" on Thursday, they urged the
government to prepare environment hazard maps and to implement the National Action Plan on
Disaster Management as soon as possible.
Lekhanath Pokharel, an official at the Home
Ministry (Department of Disaster Management) informed that the National Action Plan
relating to disaster management in the country has not been translated into action due to
technical problems.
The plan prepared by the Home Ministry in 1996
is one of the key policies for managing disasters in the country, which focuses on
pre-management and minimisation of disasters in the country, besides making concerned
authorities accountable for disaster management.
" Setting up of communication centres to
inform and warn about possible disasters across the country is extremely necessary to help
mitigate disaster in case of occurance but we do not have the facility at present",
he said.
He was of the opinion that Nepal lacks a clear
policy to seek international aids for disaster management.
Narendra Raj Khanal, a researcher, stressed the
selection of sites for settlement. According to Khanal, many public infrastructure have
been set up without giving priority to site selection and not caring disaster safety
measures. The toll to be caused by disasters can be considerably reduced if safety
measures are adopted.
He also pointed a lack of community-based early
warning system, which is very essential to inform disaster in advance. "Besides, we
need landuse guidelines in the country", he said.
Bhuwaneshor Lal Shrestha underlined the need to
carry out extensive researches to make disaster-proof houses, using local materials and
technology.
Dr. Toran Sharma attributed growing disaster to
human behaviour and suggested to respect and use traditional knowledge and materials for
its prevention.
Dr. Pitamber Sharma, a geographer, opined that
it is very necessary to prepare environmental hazards map.
Speaking at the programme, Forest Secretary
Chandi Prasad Shrestha, informed that the government is planning to incorporate local
communities to mange watersheds in the country.
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