Kathmandu. CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli has said that the damage caused by the devastating floods in Rasuwa and Nuwakot districts is extraordinary and terrible.

After receiving the report prepared by UML General Secretary Shankar Pokhrel after an on-site inspection, Chairman Oli expressed dissatisfaction over the lack of effective role of the federal government during the disaster. He said that the federal government was “capturing the power of the state” but it was “inaccessible and unattainable” for the affected people.

“The government has captured the power of the state. The government has become inaccessible, unattainable,” Oli said.

PM Oli said that the federal government has failed to provide the required coordination and leadership in the immediate rescue, relief and rehabilitation of all the state agencies during the disaster. Stating that the floods of the Bhotekoshi river have caused an unprecedented level of damage in the Trishuli region, Oli said that it should be taken as a matter of national grief and pain. Stating that the loss of human life is very serious, he said that even if the loss of property could be reconstructed with time, the loss of human life would be irreparable.

He urged all sides not to try to take political advantage over the disaster, saying that such a crisis is a common pain and a shared responsibility. However, he said that the federal government should play a leading role by coordinating effectively with the state and local governments as the responsibility of the government is more than others.

He questioned the working style of the government, saying that various institutions and human resources that have expertise in rescue were not allowed to be mobilized. Stating that resources including helicopters have not been mobilized effectively, he said that it was not appropriate from the point of view of disaster management to prevent the use of available skills and resources.

PM Oli praised the Bagmati Province government for expeditiously carrying out rescue, relief and reconstruction works on its own initiative as compared to the federal government. He thanked the Bagmati Province government for its efforts to reopen the roads obstructed by floods and landslides, restore connectivity with the affected areas and reach the problematic areas.

“I would like to thank the Bagmati Province government. Not only the rescue and relief work has been carried out with great urgency on its own initiative and efforts, but it has also taken the reconstruction work simultaneously,” said Oli.

He said that the central government should work together with the state and local levels and did not do so, adding that he had heard through the media that the RSP had organized an all-party meeting. However, he said that the federal government has not even taken the initiative of effective all-party coordination regarding the disaster.

Chairman Oli said that all political parties, government levels and social organizations should stand together without competing to take credit for the disaster. Stating that it is not possible to solve such a big disaster with a single effort, he made it clear that the government should still improve its role and approach and not make the disaster a political issue.

Stating that the UML has sent a team under the leadership of General Secretary Pokhrel to the affected areas, he said that the Bagmati Province Committee should coordinate with the affected districts to make the relief, rescue and rehabilitation works more effective on behalf of the party. He suggested that it would be better to establish a contact center at the UML central office under the leadership of Province In-charge Mahesh Basnet and coordinate relief and rehabilitation works on behalf of the party.

Chairman Oli said that the actual damage of the disaster was bigger than the initial estimate. He said that a long-term plan is necessary from reconstruction of houses to physical infrastructure of the displaced people. He said that the loss of skilled technical and youth manpower in floods and landslides is a big loss from the point of view of nation building.

He also pointed out the risk of the epidemic spreading immediately in the affected areas. Stating that searching, identification and management of the dead bodies of those lost and buried in floods and landslides could be challenging, Oli said that health security should be given priority.

Saying rehabilitation and rehabilitation of survivors was equally a big challenge, he stressed the need to carry out multi-dimensional works by formulating a special plan for the affected people.

He suggested that care should be taken to ensure that relief does not reach the same place again and again but some of the affected people do not reach the same place repeatedly. He said that the citizens who take regular medicines and need treatment should be identified and medicines and health services should be made accessible to them.

Chair Oli made it clear that the priority ahead was not political credit but rescue, relief and rehabilitation of the victims, urging the federal government to move ahead effectively by joining hands with the state and local governments.