Himal Press 
BUTWAL: The Lumbini Province Government has decided to provide relief to families affected by monsoon-related and other disasters.
The 15th meeting of the Provincial Disaster Management Council decided to provide immediate relief to families affected by disasters, which have caused significant loss of life and property, and to repair damaged roads and infrastructure.
The meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Chet Narayan Acharya, decided to release Rs 2.5 million from the Provincial Disaster Management Fund to reduce the risk of river erosion and flooding in the Susta area across the Narayani River in Susta Rural Municipality-5 of Nawalparasi.
The amount will be spent through the Water Resources and Irrigation Development Division Office, Nawalparasi.
Similarly, Rs 5 million will be released for the immediate repair and protection of the Uwa Khola bridge in Thabang Rural Municipality-5 of Rolpa. Floods have washed away one side of the bridge’s wing wall, while a large hole on the approach road has disrupted transportation, according to Bharat Mani Pandey, secretary at the Ministry of Home Affairs, Law, Industry and Transport.
Various sections of the Sulichaur-Thabang road have also been damaged and in need of immediate repair and safety measures. The amount will be spent through the Road Infrastructure Development Office, Rolpa.
The council also decided to send relief materials stocked at the warehouse of the Humanitarian Assistance and Provincial Emergency Operations Center to Rolpa. A consignment of 20 tents, 30 tarpaulins, 40 blankets, 48 mosquito nets, six kitchen sets and 20 mattresses has already been sent to Rolpa. It also decided to instruct the concerned ministry to use water supply pipes stocked at government offices to restore water supply projects damaged by wildfires, fires, floods and landslides.
As the risk of monsoon-related disasters remains, the council instructed the ministries and agencies leading the thematic disaster management “clusters” to hold immediate meetings and activate their respective clusters.
Chief Minister Acharya directed provincial agencies to ensure that disaster victims do not suffer further due to delays in rescue operations. Stating that heavy rainfall could still occur as the monsoon has not yet ended, he instructed all government agencies to remain on standby.
85 killed in monsoon-related disasters
Monsoon-related disasters in different parts of the province have claimed 85 lives so far.
According to the council, 91 monsoon-related disaster incidents have been recorded in the province so far. Thirteen people are injured while two are still missing.
Fifty-eight people died after drowning, four died in floods, three in lightning strikes and 20 in landslides.
Twenty people died in monsoon-related disasters in four local units of Rolpa, including 12 in Thabang alone. One is still missing.
Similarly, six people died in Sun Chhahari Rural Municipality, while one person each died in Lungri and Parivartan rural municipalities.
A total of 11 households have been displaced by disasters across the four local levels, while 318 households are at risk.
