Kathmandu. The Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) has stepped up surveillance in vulnerable places and schools following the regular rains. The metropolis has said that the monitoring has been increased to protect children from possible floods and inundation and to reduce the damage to physical property due to inundation.

Rain is taking place in various parts of the country including the Kathmandu Valley as the low-pressure system developed in the Bay of Bengal is further developing. Although it is raining normally at present, it is likely to develop into heavy rainfall, so surveillance has been increased in vulnerable places and schools.

According to the KMC, the Department of Education has been given the authority and responsibility to operate the schools and suspend the classes if necessary after assessing the condition of the schools located in the risky areas.

A meeting of the Metropolitan Disaster Management Committee was held on Wednesday to prepare for the preparedness and response plan for weather-induced disasters. The meeting also decided to activate the preparedness and response system for the reduction of possible flood, inundation, landslide and water-related risk and increase coordination with security agencies, Red Cross and other bodies.

The meeting also directed all the mechanisms, departments, bodies and ward offices of the metropolis to actively carry out preparedness and response work to minimize the risks that might occur in the metropolitan area from heavy rainfall.

The decision states that miking will be done in the river banks, monitoring will be increased in the drainage areas, and sewage, mangal and catchpit cleaning will be intensified. For this, the responsibility of the municipal police force, the Department of Environment Management and the Department of Disaster Management has been assigned.

Necessary materials including rafting boards, tarpaulins, vehicles have been kept ready for disaster response. Two municipal police rescue teams have been deployed. Arrangements have been made to coordinate and cooperate with the Government of Nepal, District Administration Office, Security Agencies and other organizations in case of possible risk.