According to a report published by the Eastern Regional Police Office Biratnagar, 56 people were killed in natural calamities such as flood, landslide, fire, lightening, storms and elephant attack, during fiscal year 2011/12. [break]
The number of injured in various natural calamaties in fiscal year 2012/13 was 88.
Alarmed by the huge increase in death toll, the security agencies plan to remain on high alert to cope with such situations and mitigate the human casualty.
As per the plan, security agencies including the police and army will keep personnel in a state of high alert and rescue logistics will be on stand-by as the monsoon is yet to run its course. During fiscal year 2011/12, eight people were killed by flooding in the region. However, in fiscal 2012/2013 to date, 14 people have already been killed.
A meeting of security agencies held at Nepal Army Eastern HQ at Itahari to discuss disaster preparedness and rapid response decided to place all security personnel on high alert against untoward incidents as the monsoon remains in full spate.
As per the report prepared by police, 53 places in the region have been flooded during this year´s monsoon so far, affecting 7,676 households. Floods in various places eroded 104 bigha and 12 kattha and 53 ropani, destroying property worth around Rs 85 million, informed Deputy Inspector General of Police Upendra Kant Aryal.
Lt. Col. Mahesh Sundar Khadka at NA Eastern HQ informed that 20 percent of the 11,000 army personnel stationed there would be deployed for disaster rescue operations. Nepal police has decided to deploy 200 personnel at the regional police office, 50 personnel at the zonal police office as well as 50 and 25 respectively at each district police office in the Hill and Tarai regions. Similarly, the Armed Police Force has decided to deploy 500 personnel trained in disaster management in the eastern region.
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