The heavy rains that fell on the night of August 19 and the subsequent landslides caused huge human and material losses in many places in Ilam. In addition to the death of 39 people, infrastructure such as roads, bridges, electricity and drinking water were destroyed. Hundreds of families have been displaced.

The government has recently declared Elam as a disaster prone area. Physical Infrastructure Minister Kulman Ghising visited Ilam on Saturday and inspected the damage. Understand the local situation. Delivered relief. And decided the direction of reconstruction and returned. Parvat Portal brief conversation with Minister Ghising about the problems seen in Ilam, reconstruction priorities, alternative infrastructure plans, etc. The geology of Elam is very poor. The geo-structure here is seen to be in a dangerous condition. Landslides are highly likely after rain. Problems have been seen in infrastructure such as roads, water supply and electricity. It was found that heavy rains caused weak soil to flow and landslides happened frequently. It affected not only the infrastructure, the residential area as well.  

What is the reason for the damage in Elam compared to other districts ? 

It was predicted that it would rain. However, the rain arrived in the east 12 hours earlier. It was predicted that rain would fall, but it was not expected that it would rain so much and that there would be unexpected damage. Information was widely disseminated, which reduced the damage in some areas. But the damage was more in Ilam.

We tried a lot to prevent human losses, but could not be completely stopped. There has been a huge loss in infrastructure, human and material assets. The reason for more damage in Ilam compared to other districts is the geography here . The geography here is different from the last one . Landslides and floods even in small waters. On that day, it rained continuously for about 12 hours which caused such a big disaster.  

The government has declared Elam as a 'dangerous area', what does it mean ?

Declaring a disaster zone means to prioritize every disaster-damaged area and proceed with the work. Infrastructure reconstruction, especially the reconstruction of the Mechi highway, is progressing rapidly. Village roads are also destroyed, all of them will be repaired and reconstructed.

Within three months, all three levels of government (federal, state and local) will work together in an integrated manner . According to the demand of the local level, the work of relief, restoration and reconstruction will be carried out . Some municipal heads have also demanded a special task force from the central government to work in Ilam, we are also discussing that.  

Passengers have been suffering for a long time after the road was washed away, what alternative transport and infrastructure measures have you thought of?

The need for alternative highways is now more evident. At such a time, there is a possibility to immediately upgrade the Kechna-Kanchenjunga road so that those highways can be used . Belybridge (suspension bridge) is damaged, I have instructed to construct it immediately. We will take action against contractors who do not work. New Belybreezes have been ordered, will arrive after Tihar .

Similarly, other possibilities are also being studied as alternatives to the bridge and road of Mai Khola in the Rajduwali road section . It seems that the alternative of Rajduwali is not sought.  

How fast are restoration works progressing ?

I was able to understand many things after coming to the field . The details of this will be given to the government in detail . immediate restoration is imperative . We will temporarily restore within three months and then move towards a permanent solution . We have set a goal to bring infrastructure such as bridges and roads into operation within three months . Long-term planning will also be promoted with priority. 

What is the description of Elam's initial damage?

The full details are yet to come . However, according to preliminary data, it is estimated that there has been more than 2 billion rupees of damage in areas such as roads, bridges, water supply, and electricity. This is just an estimate, it could be even worse.  

What is the main priority of this government formed after the Gen-G movement?

The main priority now is the election. However, it is not only the election, it is also the responsibility of the government to address the issues raised by the people's movement. People have raised their voices against corruption. Its investigation and control is our priority. We are focused on how to improve governance and direct service delivery to the people. There has been a big political change in the country. Now it is necessary to discuss about the constitution and electoral system. Immediate change is not possible, but it is necessary to pave the way for improvement in the future. 

What do you think about the upcoming leadership and political culture?

We have to create a new kind of leadership environment . The purpose of this movement is not to bring the old parties back to power, but to bring new and young leadership forward. Nepalese living abroad should also be able to vote for their favorite party or leader from there. Legal and technical preparation will be required for that.  Establishing parties and leaders with new thinking and working style for the development and prosperity of Nepal is the need of today .

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