Preparing for Monsoon

The Monsoon season in Nepal, a natural gift in many senses, is usually accompanied by a number of disasters such as landslides, flood, thunder-storm, damage to settlements and development works, disruption in tourism, distribution,  air, road transportation, power supply and spread of waterborne diseases such as cholera and typhoid. The government has both a strategy and a plan to cope with the disasters at various levels. Yet every year somehow or the other the disasters go out of control and create chaos and panic among people, offices and places. Normal life is always adversely affected. The experience of last year is still in fresh memory of people. Issues of timely preparedness, early disaster warning systems and relief works in the event of disaster always are raised seriously but never addressed properly.  Victims usually do not get proper attention; a number of past victims protest against administration every monsoon and they go usually un-responded; finance is not used wisely and pragmatically, other resources are also not efficiently handled during events of disasters. Disaster finance is considered as emergency work and is usually taken lightly and accountability for making efficient use of disaster finance is also not considered as a social duty. The same trend has led to the practice of inefficient use of disaster finance most of the time. Experts consider it a great vulnerability which prepares way to promote corruption and irregularities. Authorities concerned do not care much for this despite protest by stakeholders in this regard. Experts have underlined the need to take monsoon related disasters seriously in Nepal. Minimizing the risk of monsoon disaster should be the guiding principle for all – institutions or individuals. All phases of disaster – prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery should be seriously taken. Professionals should be mobilized as per the requirement of each phase. All Nepalese should be concerned with it and they should seek solutions to monsoon related disasters in the country as per the advisory of scientists. Let preparedness be in a state of professional “go” ! Let the same not compel Nepalese suffer most in this monsoon!