Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has expressed worry that unmanaged urbanization could intensify the risk of earthquake in Nepal. Addressing a programme virtually on the occasion of the 24th Earthquake Safety Day on Sunday, PM Deuba stressed on paying special attention on infrastructure development in order to reduce earthquake-related damages.
“We should be prepared and make plan to lessen the damages by learning from the bitter experience we had with 2015 Gorkha Earthquake,” PM Deuba said, underscoring the need for coordination and cooperation among all layers of government to minimize the threats of natural disasters, fire, earthquakes etc. The local levels should always remain alert with the proper mobilization of human resources, he added.
Similarly, Home Minister Balkrishna Khand informed that Nepal stands on 11th spot in term of earthquake vulnerability. So, construction of robust infrastructures is imperative, said, adding that government would install the early warning system so that people would be aware of natural disasters. He believed that earthquake risk would be less if other areas also followed the building code that Lalitpur Metropolitan City has implemented.
Minister for Urban Development Ram Kumari Jhankri viewed not only robust building but also the awareness about related geography is required to minimize earthquake-related damages. She requested all concerned to manage open spaces inside cities which could be shared during the natural disasters.
On the occasion, Mayor of Lalitpur Metropolitan City, Chiribabu Maharjan, expressed pride that Lalitpur is the first in the country to introduce and implement the Building Code, 2069, which, he argued, helped prevent huge loss in the Gorkha Earthquake, 2015. He further shared that Lalitpur Metropolis had kept in ready state the human and physical resources required for any disaster. They are placed at the office of Juddha Barun Yantra, Pulchowk. The Metropolis has already formulated the policy that prohibits construction of structures in the public and unregistered lands.
Moreover, Coordinator of the Earthquake Safety Day Publicity Subcommittee and Director at Urban Development and Building Construction, Padam Kumar Mainali, said the Department has been providing training on safe building construction since to 2058BS. Several plans would be forwarded by 2030 for making the country safe by 2030, according to Executive Chief of Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, Anil Pokhrel.
Various other speakers including UN Residential Representative Richard Howard pointed out the need for community level awareness on natural disasters as earthquake, and institutionalized works on risk reduction.At the programme, PM Deuba virtually released the ‘Bipad Pustika’ (Disaster Booklet) published by Lalitpur Metropolitan City.
