At a meeting of the Parliament's Agriculture and Water Resources Committee on Sunday, officials at the ministry informed lawmakers that as per the ministry's preliminary assessment the agriculture sector suffered damage worth Rs 9.7 billion in the earthquake, which has killed over 8,000 people so far.The ministry informed that the earthquake killed 8,031 big cattle like water buffaloes and cows, 14,495 small cattle like goats and pigs and 147,222 birds like chickens and caused a damage of around Rs 650 million in 23 districts. Likewise, it also informed that 135,187 metric tons of food commodities worth Rs 8.1 billion rupees were destroyed by the quake in 40 districts.
Similarly, physical infrastructures related to agricultural sector worth Rs 950 million were also destroyed in the earthquake.
Agriculture Minister Hari Prasad Parajuli and Uttam Kumar Bhattarai, secretary at the ministry, had informed about the damage to lawmakers. Likewise, Minister Parajuli also presented short-term, mid-term and long-term plans of the ministry for emergency relief and rehabilitation of the affected farmers and reconstruction of the damaged physical infrastructures.
After that, the committee directed the ministry to come up with a detailed and specific report of damages to the agriculture sector, including issues discussed while presenting resolution motion in parliament in the next meeting of the committee.
Likewise, the committee has also decided to form three sub-committees to study losses incurred by the agriculture sector and monitor relief materials distributed by various organizations to the affected farmers. Members of the sub-committees are visiting Rasuwa-Nuwakot, Sindhupalchowk-Kavre and Gorkha-Dhading areas for study and assessment.
The committee also urged the ministry to mobilize students of agriculture for rehabilitation of farmers and reconstruction of necessary infrastructures.
Meanwhile, the home ministry has released budget for relief distribution in 13 districts. The ministry released Rs 50 million for Dolakha, Rs 70 million for Ramechhap, 20 million for Okhaldhunga, 10 million each for Palpa, Lamjung, Tanahu, and Solukhumbhu, Rs 5,000,000 each for Chitwan and Parbat, Rs 500,000 each for Manang, Myagdi, and Rukum and Rs 1,500,000 for Dhankuta.
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