KATHMANDU, July 27: Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak on Saturday held discussions with chiefs and deputy chiefs of local governments and Chief District Officers (CDOs) of Madhesh Province to discuss the water relief measures that the federal government can provide to people.
In a virtual coordination meeting organized by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA), Minister Lekhak emphasised the government’s serious commitment to addressing hardships faced by citizens in the Madhesh region. On the proposal of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Madhesh Province has been officially declared a disaster-affected area.
Minister Lekhak instructed CDOs to coordinate and facilitate the identification of priority locations facing drinking water and irrigation challenges and to expedite the installation of deep tubewells and deep boring systems accordingly.
Beat the summer heat
Minister Lekhak further urged the continuation of water distribution via tankers in areas lacking water sources or where sources have dried up. To enhance this effort, he directed the deployment of private sector tankers alongside those of security agencies.
Minister Lekhak also highlighted the importance of utilising water sources available in government offices, schools, hospitals and NGOs for drinking purposes. Acknowledging risks of exploitation during the crisis, he warned against cartelling and black market activities and called on security agencies to enforce stringent monitoring.
Chairing the meeting, Engineer Dinesh Prasad Bhatt, Executive Chief of the NDRRMA, shared that they have already urged UN agencies, national and international NGOs and the Red Cross to adjust their programs to better focus on the needs of Madhesh Province.
During the meeting, mayors, chairpersons and chief district officers from Madhesh Province and drought-affected districts provided detailed updates on local conditions and ongoing initiatives aimed at mitigating the crisis.
A cabinet meeting held earlier this week declared Madhesh Province a disaster-affected area for three months starting from July 23. Prior to this, the Madhesh Province government on July 10 had declared the region drought-affected following the drying up of water sources, severely impacting drinking water and irrigation.
