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Govt to expedite distribution of relief materials in flood-hit far west

Deputy Prime Minster Bam Dev Gautam has promised that the government would not allow relief materials to go scarce to make things even worse for the flood and landslides victims of far-western districts of Nepal. He also said that the government is working on a mechanism for swift delivery of relief materials.

The comment from DPM Gautam, who also holds the Home Ministry portfolio, comes amidst reports that flood victims in many far-western districts are angry at the government for delay in distribution of relief materials.

On Tuesday, angry flood victims at Rauteli Bichwa VDC of Kanchanpur district waved the helicopter to go back when it reached the village to distribute relief materials five days after the flood.

Reports say locals at various flood hit villages of Kanchanpur district, including Jhilmila, Imiliya, Radhapur, Shankerpur and Tribhuvan Basti received relief materials only on Tuesday.

"The government will under any circumstances provide the flood-victims with relief materials on time," Gautam promised while speaking to landslide victims in Chainpur of Bajhang district.

Gautam, who is inspecting the landslide and flood-hit districts of far-western Nepal on a helicopter since Wednesday, reached the flood-hit district today morning.

He has already inspected flood and landslide hit parts of Kanchanpur, Kailali and Baitadi district.

Speaking to local representatives in Bitadi today morning, Gautam assured swift delivery of relief materials to flood-victims.

The death toll in the aftermath of the landslides and floods caused by incessant rainfall in the region has crossed 45, according to reports. The floods have rendered thousands of people in the district homeless as they are scrounging for relief materials doled out by the government from helicopter.

Meanwhile, Kathmandu Post reported that over 500 flood victims sheltered inside various schools and VDC offices in the district, are suffering from fever and common cold. Most of them are children, elderly persons and women.

District Public Health Office (DPHO) told the post that the situation could get worse if these displaced are not shifted to proper shelters with safe drinking water and sanitation.

According to the report, a mobile team of health workers led by one doctor is carrying out routine health checkups of the victims inside these camps. nepalnews.com ag Sep 25 08