A mirror of the rescue mechanism shown by the Simaltal accident

The Chitwan administration has released the details of those who were stranded in Trishuli: 38 were on the bus going to Gaur from Kathmandu and 65 were on the bus coming from Birgunj to Kathmandu. Among them, three passengers saved their lives by swimming. Out of the remaining 57, the bodies of 13 people have been found till late on Monday. Investigations are ongoing on behalf of the government. After the incident, security personnel were mobilized for rescue. A diving team of the armed police and a team of the army have also been deployed. As of Monday, in addition to divers, motorboats, rafting boats, magnets, water drones, sonar cameras and pipeline inspection systems are being used. Even though these techniques are considered very effective abroad, they have not been successful in Trishuli's murky waters and murky waters. The personal effort of the security personnel in the search operation is commendable. But it has been confirmed that the available technology and human efforts alone cannot give results. Therefore, more efforts and the search for complementary methods have become mandatory.

In Nepal, rescue and relief operations are often delayed after major accidents caused by natural disasters. This is because of our geographical location, the complexity of certain types of accidents and the technology available to us. The Simaltal disaster has highlighted the need for a long-term strategy to make post-disaster rescue operations effective. For that, it is necessary to use the latest technology of high quality. But it seems that the government gives less priority to such matters in the policy and program and budget statements. Because such accidents are our regular contingencies. Therefore, it is necessary to take measures such as managing a sufficient budget, preparing skilled manpower for the use of technology, and paying attention to moral development to keep the morale of the security personnel working at risk high.

Muglin-Narayangadh is a road section with high traffic accidents. Some of the cars that fell in Trishuli are lost in the river, many people's bodies are not found. This year, the bodies of the people involved in the Simaltal accident are being found far and wide. Only on Sunday, the body was found about 50 km away in Golaghat area. Dead bodies have also been found in Ghandakot, Gandak Canal and Susta. Therefore, there is a need to expand the scope of research from the point of view of geographical area, technology and manpower mobilization. Coordination between Nepal Police, Armed Police and Nepali Army teams should be made more effective in search operations.

The Minister of Home Affairs, Ramesh Lakhtar, who took charge only on Monday, has also signed the decision to form a working group under the leadership of Joint Secretary Chibi Rizal to study the Simaltal incident. He has also expressed that his first responsibility is to address the extreme situation caused by natural disasters. The newly appointed minister has indicated that he is sensitive to such accidents, now this should be seen in practice. Concrete measures should be taken in terms of disaster risk reduction and post-disaster rescue, relief and rehabilitation. Even if rescue can be done immediately in such accidents, many lives can be saved. The style of

road construction also needs to be reconsidered. Minimizing the risk of landslides should be done to make the road safer. Because, while extending the Muglin-Narayangadh road section, it has been criticized for not paying enough attention to landslide risk mitigation. Special care should also be taken while building local roads connecting to major highways. Because, it is estimated that the flood and landslide occurred due to the road built to connect the human settlements in the upper part of Simaltal with the highway. Detailed and official details about this can be revealed by the study. The quality of other roads should also be ensured. The more attention is paid to road construction and maintenance, the more the loss of life can be reduced.