KATHMANDU, Jan 16: Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Narayan Kaji Shrestha has called for collaborative efforts on disaster reduction and local resilience. 

During a program of Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) organized at Bhugol Park of Kathmandu on the occasion of Earthquake Safety Day this morning, the collaboration of KMC with the federal and provincial governments would emerge as a model, which, he argued, could be replicated in other local bodies.

He said that the constitution has mentioned disaster management as the responsibility of the local governments as well, so all sides are required to work together to tackle the problems.  "The federal government is ready to work together with the local governments for their capacity building," DPM Shrestha said, adding that the local governments were provided equipment for emergency and rescue operations via the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority.

According to the DPM, the volunteers, too, have a significant role in disaster management. So, the volunteers could be brought under a national system, he opined. 

DPM Shrestha expressed happiness over the KMC's mobilization of volunteers and initiatives taken for necessary training. He lauded the assistance KMC provided in the quake-hit area following the Jajarkot earthquake. He wished KMC as the leading local government with resources and capacity to continue such works.

The initiatives taken by the KMC could be replicated by others, he suggested.

Moreover, DPM Shrestha commented, "KMC's role in enforcing building code for earthquake safety and assessment and retrofitting of unsafe structures is significant."

On the occasion, Deputy Mayor of KMC, Sunita Dangol, said Nepal must pay heed to building quake-resistant structures in view of the earthquake security.

Earthquake Safety Day has been observed every year on Magh 2 of Nepali calendar since 2055 BS. The Day commemorates the devastating earthquake that occurred on Magh 2, 1990 BS. A huge number of lives and properties perished in the quake that measured 8.4 on the Richter Scale. It occurred at 2:24 PM.

According to senior seismologist at the National Seismology and Research Centre, Lok Bijay Adhikari, as many as 8,519 Nepalis had died, while 80,000 houses were destroyed in the 1990 BS earthquake. 

A total of 207,248 structures had perished in the earthquake.

The recent devastating quake Nepal witnessed was the Gorkha Earthquake of Baisakh 12, 2072 BS. It claimed the lives of 8,670 people and destroyed more than 700,000 houses. 

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