Nepal monitoring disaster-related relief post earthquake

Kathmandu: More than two months after a massive earthquake left parts of the Kathmandu Valley in a state of devastation, the Government of Nepal, to its credit, has taken significant steps to monitor disaster-related relief and rehabilitation, said India's Ambassador to Nepal Ranjit Rae.

Playing host to an Indian media delegation over dinner at a prominent hotel here on Tuesday night, Ambassador Rae said that for him personally, the April 25 earthquake was a terrible and scary experience, and when it struck on a Saturday when he was at home, it seemed as if the official residence was spinning from the impact of the natural calamity.

Deputy High Commissioner Vinay Kumar confirmed later to ANI that the ambassador's residence had suffered some internal damage, which necessitated the summoning of CPWD engineers from the Bihar division to carry out repairs at the earliest.

"It was not something that one would like to go through again," Ambassador Rae said.

The Nepal Government, he said, has created an empowered committee to monitor the distribution of disaster relief and is using the power of its laws to make sure that the NGOs and other foreign agencies provide this aid appropriately, and added that the administration in Kathmandu is very keen to know where the funds are going and whether to the relevant areas.

Ambassador Rae went so far as to say that the Government of Nepal has appropriated lessons in disaster relief management and development from the Gujarat model promoted and applied by Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he was the chief minister of Gujarat, and added that the latter is taking a "deep and close interest" in the ongoing relief and rehabilitation efforts.

Recalling that India responded to the disaster in Nepal within six hours of its occurrence, the envoy said that while the media had performed its duty in flagging news of the calamity almost immediately, it could have handled the situation in the post-quake period with more sensitivity to avoid the negative backlash it had experienced from the government and people of Nepal.

"It seemed initially that the whole focus of the Indian media was on the evacuation of Indians based in Nepal, rather than on the misery being experienced by the local Nepali population," Ambassador Rae said, adding that the National Reconstruction Authority and the Indian Government were now working together to use the two billion U.S. dollars, including the one billion dollars handed over by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj during her recent third visit to Nepal, for reconstruction efforts.

Ambassador Rae revealed to ANI that India has agreed to work with Nepal in eight key sectors, including shelter, education, health, road infrastructure, power, heritage and disaster management.

As regards Nepal's UNESCO-approved heritage sites, the Indian envoy said it was incorrect to suggest or assume that this was restricted to rebuilding damaged historical structures. He added that it was about India playing a leading role in restoring Nepal economic-cultural system, both in the short and long terms.

"The people of Nepal are resilient and have a way of picking themselves up. It is a given that the new structures have to be earthquake resistant and India has had past experiences in places like Latur in Maharashtra and Bhuj in Gujarat in dealing with such disasters. The process will be monitored, and an owner-driven approach (focus will be on what the eventual owner of the building or apartment desires) will be followed," he said.

The earthquake, Ambassador Rae said, has also redirected attention to the porous India-Nepal border, which is in dire need of infrastructural development. He said that the "Roti-Beti" relationship that India and Nepal enjoy must translate to a proper demarcation of borders, better border connectivity, improved rail linkages, improved road infrastructure, especially of those arterial roads that link up with the highway. He added that sister cities can play a significant role in this regard.

On the delay of the drafting of a new Constitution for Nepal, Ambassador Rae said, "It should be done quickly. Democracy must be strengthened. Nepal is fortunate to have an elected Constituent Assembly (601 members) and we need to be aware that the process is and will be driven by the Nepali political leadership and the people of Nepal.

On China continuing to have a significant influence in Nepal's affairs, the Indian envoy said every nation, be it China or India, had the right and choice to decide how much of its time and resources it wished to invest in another country, and added that it was natural to consider expanding outreach.

He said other areas under consideration for cooperation between India and Nepal included energy and transportation.

The management of rivers was another critical area where both nations could cooperate, especially in the wake of the earthquake causing cracks in mountain ranges and raising fears about the increased frequency of landslides.

"Rivers can get dammed as a result. This year, there could be problems in both India and Nepal, and both have to work closely with each other on this. Geologists and other experts have come from India to conduct surveys. ISMOD has said that there are six areas that are vulnerable to landslide threats," he said.

The ambassador concluded by saying that two visits by Prime Minister Modi and three by External Affairs Minister Swaraj to Nepal in the last 14 months was indicative of the close ties both nations share and will continue to share in the future.