Monsoon Emergency Action plan
KATHMANDU – Department of Hydrology and Meteorology (DHM) has unveiled a five-point action plan in order to mitigate the impact of natural disasters such as floods and landslides.
Scores of people die and hundreds of families are displaced every in Nepal because of flooding and landslides. As part of its new measurers, the DHM has upgraded its early warning systems in major rivers so as to predict floods occurrences three days prior to the incident.
The department has said it will predict floods in major rivers including Koshi, Gandaki, Karnali, Mahakali, West Rapti and make public the information much earlier than the previous years.
Likewise, the DHM is all set to operate its Meteorological Forecasting Division and make prediction of water level in major rivers of the country round the clock and disseminate information to the public.
During the monsoon period, the department will issue flood forecast bulletins every 6 o clock in the morning and evening. The forecasts will be made every 24 hours and emergency bulletins would be issued during special situations.
Though the normal onset date for monsoon is June 10, the annual rainy season has been delaying in the past few years. According to Meteorological Forecasting Division, various parts of the country have been witnessing rainfall due to active pre-monsoon.
Dissemination of Information
The department will inform the National Emergency Operation Centre once the bulletin on flood forecasting is issued. The bulletins will be kept on the DHM’s website www.hydrology.gov.np.
Similarly, all the ministries, departments, red-cross societies, and disaster related bodies would be informed about the updates, while the people affected by floods would in informed through mobile SMS services.
The department has also set up a toll-free number (1155) for providing information on weather conditions and water levels.
