Bagmati allocates Rs. 190 million to local levels for disaster response

By Rammani Dahal, Hetauda, July 22: The Bagmati Province Government has allocated nearly Rs. 190 million to local governments across the province for disaster preparedness and response programmes.

According to the Province Disaster Management Fund Mobilisation Procedure, 2023, a total of Rs. 175 million has been transferred to the disaster management fund accounts of local governments to implement 114 disaster-related projects.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs, Law and Cooperatives said the funds were released in accordance with decisions made by the Provincial Disaster Management Council at its meetings held on two different dates in the last fiscal year. 

Under the procedure, Rs. 5 million was provided to each of the 13 District Disaster Management Committees during the last fiscal year for search, rescue and emergency response activities. 

The total allocation of Rs. 65 million is intended to support immediate post-disaster operations, including rescue, storage, transportation, equipment rental and the procurement of essential relief materials.

Padam Ojha, chief of the ministry’s Disaster Management Division, said additional local governments had formed volunteer groups in line with the provincial government’s policy of mobilising community volunteers during disaster emergencies.

The ministry said 13 local governments were selected last fiscal year to establish and mobilise volunteer groups, with each receiving Rs. 5 million, amounting to a total allocation of Rs. 65 million.

Under the same programme, funding had previously been provided to 19 local governments in FY 2024/25 and 11 local governments in FY 2023/24. Volunteer groups have so far been formed and mobilised in 22 local governments.

Ojha said that, during the last fiscal year, four local governments in Sindhupalchowk, two each in Dolakha and Makwanpur, and one each in Dhading, Rasuwa, Lalitpur, Kathmandu and Sindhuli were selected to establish volunteer groups.

According to the ministry, 997 disaster incidents were recorded across Bagmati Province by July 2 of the last fiscal year. The incidents claimed 50 lives, left 12 people missing and injured 251 others.

The disasters caused an estimated Rs. 283.2 million in economic losses, damaged 213 houses and resulted in the loss of 368 livestock.

The ministry recorded 526 fire incidents, 119 landslides, 57 floods, 59 heavy rainfall incidents and 43 lightning strikes during the period.

During the current monsoon season, from May 29 to October 10 2025, the province recorded 326 disaster incidents, resulting in 27 deaths, 25 people missing and 72 injuries. The incidents also damaged 50 houses and killed 57 livestock.