Due to the heavy rain since Thursday, life has been disrupted across the country. As of Saturday night, more than 100 people have lost their lives across the country, with a large number of people missing. The highway connecting the capital is blocked. Landslides have occurred in dozens of places. At least 34 people died in Kathmandu alone, while all the settlements along the river were flooded.

What is the reason for this heavy rain when it is generally assumed that the monsoon has ended? What is the mechanism capacity to predict this kind of natural disaster? Disaster Preparedness Network technical advisor Dinanath Bhandari Ghanshyam Khadka from Kantipur and Rajesh Mishra had a conversation with break:

What could be the reason for such heavy rain and damage? 

This heavy rain in October is an out-of-average event. There are two reasons for this—climate fluctuations and changes, and the other is human.

People shirk their responsibility by saying that floods are natural or caused by climate change. You are saying human reason, how?

If you look technically, the place where the water falls from the sky has been erased. The paddy fields were wiped out. Settlements were built on stagnant land. In the name of development, a road has been built by burying the river. The river has been narrowed to make the bridge smaller. There was no place to absorb water, no place to flow. The river rose and reached the settlement directly. 

Did you mean that in the case of Kathmandu? 

s are built in the name of personal structure and development. One place had an effect on another place. If you are talking about Kathmandu, look at the 50-year-old photo of the area occupied by the Wagmati and Bishnumati rivers. The Sanlo river has not flooded as much as it did then. The river has been narrowed.

is not a river in the village or a river has gone to the village. On the other hand, concrete is concrete everywhere. None of the roofs are water absorbent. Pitches and slopes did not absorb water. Kathmandu is not in a position to handle large amounts of water like it is now. There is no place to manage your roof water yourself. This situation has come about with increasing haphazard urbanization. A little more has happened in the last 30 years.

Landslides in the mountains and floods in the plains caused more damage. What do you see as the reason for this? 

The watershed has been disrupted mainly due to development. Drainage itself has reached Bitholin. As the dozer digs straight, the hill is shaken. On the other hand, the earthquake that happened in 2072 affected the mountains, its effects are still felt. On top of that, in the name of development, mountains are being mined randomly without engineering. In the low-lying Terai area, the surface of the river is not protected and the river is flowing freely. There is encroachment up to the river bank. The river has not been allowed to move according to its natural flow. 

The rain is falling heavily.   A warning has been given by setting a 'Red Zone'. But the damage is being done, isn't it? 

It was known for two/three days that heavy rain is coming. The news has reached everyone's ears. There is a blur in the medium. The Department of Water and Meteorology has been notified. However, there will always be sensitivity to risk in the public mind. There is also a need to change the way people think and communicate information.

People have not moved away from dangerous places. There are economic and social reasons. However, the risk has also been ignored in political terms. The plan to remove settlements from risky places, to use the land according to the nature of the mountains is not visible in the political and bureaucratic system. Most of the damage is not natural, but more human. If we continue to settle settlements on the banks of the river saying that it is due to climate change, we are not moving towards a solution. 

Nepal has also become stronger in the field of weather forecast information?  The

has been improved somewhat. Advances in communication, internet and mobile phone technology have made it possible to measure rainfall instantly. That thing has also reached the easy reach of common people. There has also been great progress in the science of weather forecasting. It has also been able to provide more accurate information than before. Unexpected death is avoided. This time it is said not to travel by night bus. It is said not to drive the bus. just  If the

had not been stopped at night, the damage could have been greater than it is now. The role of the media was also good. Considerable progress has been made in the field of weather forecasting. It has also helped prevent human casualties. However, public awareness has not been expanded. If the water rises, there is danger, people will go further towards the river. Thanha Pipai goes on a journey. This is extreme ignorance and intellectual arrogance. People 'forward' SMS messages about floods and landslides, but they do so at their own risk. We did a study in 2078. It rained around October 1/2. The farmers, who were forewarned, continued to harvest paddy. it rained They could not raise the paddy, it was damaged. 

Where are we in disaster preparedness? 

is better now than it was 20 years ago. However, compared to what is needed, it is not even 20 percent. The state has zero capacity, the union has little. It does not scare. The local level can do it. But there is no technology and manpower. Unions are not supposed to do everything themselves. On the other hand, we missed the use of technology. Rescue could be done by two/four 'drones'. Should have gone to 'drone technology'.

In Kathmandu, some people have lost their lives due to lack of rescue. The policies are good, the confusion lies in which ones to implement. Every agency has made its own policy. The Ministry of Home Affairs has made a strategy for 2017 to 2030. After the advent of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, something else has been created. Institutional structure is also a problem. There is a Water Disaster Control Department and Office, another authority has become. Ministry of Home Affairs also has a branch for this. The institutional structure is in the ministries of home, general, women and children. However, those employees were only there to keep the posts.

What do you think is the reason for such a situation? 

Most of them have branches/departments that deal with disasters. Gossip in winter, not found in rain. It is like keeping the posts and making room for promotion. Responsibilities should be shared according to the 'scale' of work at the union, state and local levels. Up to a certain level, the local, then the state and finally the union will do it. The association will prepare for large-scale disaster relief. It is the same abroad. Even in India, the union will do what the state has not been able to do. Here there is a tendency to go to the Sangh in every disaster and locals also appeal to the Sangh. Division of work and accountability should be clarified. All three levels are trying to increase the

risk. There is competition in the construction of random roads and physical structures. The effect it brought was called a divine disaster, and shirked responsibility. Whoever caused the disaster should be held responsible. The union government should be responsible when the union digs mines and suffers the consequences of its wrong results. The haphazardly constructed roads are absorbing water from one place to another. It caused a landslide. Landslides and floods are happening because roads and drains are not properly managed. Drainage should be managed while digging the road. There should be proper management of water. 

What should be the role of the private sector in disaster mitigation and post-disaster situations?

s are also a big part of the private sector. It is only seen as giving relief, donating, distributing noodles. First, they are also at risk from disasters. Their greater wealth is at risk. If there is a loss to them, there is no provision in the law to ameliorate it. If a person's residence is lost, there is a provision that he can be given relief for reconstruction.

There is no law to get compensation from ordinary businessmen to big industrialists if their business is damaged or someone's shop or hotel is damaged by flood. While the damage may have been theirs. The thinking about the private sector is wrong. A policy should be introduced to insure their business. On the other hand, the private sector looks at immediate profits. Does not look at the environmental impact of their work. A vivid example can be seen in the mining of gravel sand. Indiscriminate mining has been carried out out of greed for immediate profit. No disaster risk sensitivity. The risk of disaster is also increased by their work. 

What should be done to reduce the damage caused by disasters such as floods and landslides?  Disaster risk reduction should be strictly enforced by law when building

developments. There should be a strict policy where cheating is not acceptable. The budget should also be allocated towards controlling the disaster risk that may be caused by the development.

, on the other hand, has to evolve technologically as well. There is a policy, but no budget. Budget is there, technology is not. That doesn't count. All three things must be followed at all three levels. In the case of Madhesh, conservation of Chure is extremely important. The dredging of rivers in urban areas should be stopped. When establishing a new city, it should be clear where to settle. 

There are villages and towns even on rugged hills. You have to think about it. A house is built by erecting pillars on the bank of the river. It will bring disaster to one generation or another. That is why attention should also be paid to the construction work done by the private sector. 

How should relief and rescue work be prioritized in the post-disaster situation? 

First human life, then goods and then moveable wealth is the 'order' of priority. On the other hand, the law provides relief. It should reach the victim quickly. The process is increasingly slow. Even those who don't want relief take it. You have to pay attention to that. Instead, it is given in cash.