Government Declares Ilam District a Disaster-Affected Area for Three Months

The Government of Nepal has declared Ilam District a disaster-affected area following the recent floods and landslides triggered by continuous rainfall.

At a Cabinet meeting held today at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, Singha Durbar, the government decided to declare Ilam a disaster-affected zone for a period of three months, according to Minister for Communication and Information Technology and Government Spokesperson Jagadish Kharel.

According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA), since Asoj 18 (October 4), continuous rainfall has caused massive landslides and floods in the eastern hilly district, resulting in the deaths of 39 people, with one person missing and 26 injured. The disaster also caused extensive damage to Ilam’s road networks and infrastructure.

The Cabinet meeting also made several other key decisions:

To authorize the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) to issue NPR 20 billion worth of energy bonds in phases to raise funds for hydropower project development.
To promote four Deputy Inspectors General (DIGs) — Sushil Singh Rathour, Uma Prasad Chaturvedi, Himalaya Kumar Shrestha, and Dambar Bahadur Bishwakarma — to the rank of Additional Inspector General (AIG) and assign them to new positions.
To dissolve the Land Problem Resolution Commission, formed under the Land Problem Resolution Commission Formation Order, 2081 BS, along with all its district committees.
To forward the report of the Tribhuvan University Land and Property Investigation Committee (2081 BS) to the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology for implementation.
To send the 2082 BS report of the High-Level Study and Investigation Committee formed to resolve immigration and visit visa-related issues to the Ministry of Home Affairs for implementation.
To forward the report of the High-Level Study and Recommendation Committee (2082 BS), formed to improve the civil aviation sector, to the Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation for necessary action.