PM announces Rs. 50,000 relief assistance to Melamchi, Helambu flood victims

Rs. 500,000 to be given for building houses

 

Kathmandu, July 10

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has announced that the government would provide Rs. 50,000 to the flood victims in Helambu and Melamchi region for makeshift housing and Rs. 500,000 to support building permanent residence.

He said that the temporary shelter for the local people displaced by floods would be constructed at the earliest.

PM Oli also announced the distribution of 15 bundles of corrugated iron sheets each to 366 families affected by the floods. It will help people in putting up a temporary shelter, he said.

He visited the flood-damaged region on Saturday, in the afternoon, to inspect the devastation caused by the floods and interacted with people. A technical team has also landed in Helambu to construct a bridge destroyed by the floods.

A heavy rain on June 15 had triggered floods and landslides resulting in the loss of lives and property.

Speaking with the local representatives following his inspection of the flood-hit areas, PM Oli said that integrated settlements should be developed in safer locations for the long-term safety of people and their property from the disasters, Prime Minister’s Secretariat informed in a statement.

“Let’s not develop the settlement in the flood-affected areas as we did in the past because we don’t know when another disaster hits. We will be safe only till another disaster occurs, and will be ruined again,” he said.

However, he maintained that the area could be developed for agriculture, fishery, gardening, and horticulture in the future.

According to the PM, safer settlements and safe housing are the long-term solution to the current crisis and the troubles faced by people in Sindhupalchok could be minimized only by developing earthquake-resilient settlements in safe areas.

He obtained the detailed information of the damage caused by the floods, relief activities and rehabilitation works in Melamchi Municipality, and Helambu, Panch Pokhari and Jugal rural municipalities.

PM Oli reached Ganesh Bagar in Helambu by a Nepali Army helicopter and visited Melamchi Ghyang and observed the main tunnel of the Melamchi Water Supply Project (MWSP). He was accompanied by Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport, Basanta Kumar Nembang, and other government officials. He provided Rs. 20 million to Helambu from MWSP. 

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 11 July 2021.