The bills committee of the cabinet recently endorsed a bill on disaster management as floated by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA), thereby paving the way for setting up the NDMC and NDMA in the country.[break]
The bill has proposed setting up the NDMC under the chairmanship of the prime minister. There will also be a NDMA that will work as a central secretariat for the NDMC, states the bill. The bill will become law and come into implementation after parliament passes it.
As per the provisions of the bill, there will be three high-level committees to oversee disaster management-related activities in the country. The three committees include a preparedness committee, a rescue and relief management committee and rehabilitation and reconstruction committee.
“The entire objective behind setting up the NDMC and NDMA is to protect people from further damage and loss of property and ensure safety during natural catastrophes,” said an official at MoHA requesting to be unmanned.
NDMA will have a broad scope for working in the disaster management field. “The proposed NDMA will not only formulate policy and programs to address any disaster. It will also exercise executive, coordinative, directive, implementing and mapping authority in disaster areas,” reads the bill.
The bill states that NDMA will monitor and implement rehabilitation, relief and reconstruction packages provided to victims in the country.
“NDMA will also take part in national and international conferences related to disaster management,” reads the bill, adding, “Initiating immediate relief packages following a mishap and working out various safety measures to control possible catastrophes in future will be the core responsibilities of NDMA.”
According to the bill, NDMC will introduce policies addressing the plight of homeless people following a natural disaster in the country. “NDMC will take crucial decisions on how to adjust homeless people, where to rehabilitate them and in which areas they could be resettled if they are found to be victims of natural calamity,” the bill further reads.
According to MoHA officials, the government decided to amend the National Disaster Management (Rescue) Act-2039 BS following growing tree-felling by homeless people and the problems of such people arising from the current ineffective relief and rehabilitation measures for disaster victims in the country.
Only a few years ago, thousands were displaced and left helpless after the Koshi River breached its embankment at Kushawa in Sunsari district. However, the government is yet to compensate the Koshi River victims through rehabilitation and relief packages.
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