The far-western regional office of the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology (DHM) in Surkhet had installed the early warning system with assistance from Practical Action, an international organisation working towards providing physical solutions for alleviating

problems faced by economically deprived communities worldwide.

The system is designed to sound a siren to inform about impending natural calamities like floods and landslides, helping the general public and authorities to take necessary precautions to brace for the forthcoming disaster and initiate evacuation process to minimise civilian casualties.

“The system rings an alarm whenever the precipitation rate of a rainfall rises over 60 millimetres per hour, alerting the concerned authorities about forthcoming floods or landslides in any part of the district,” said Nirajan Sapkota, chief at the far-western regional office of the DHM. Likewise, the device will provide updates on temperature, rain, and winds every five minutes, including crucial data about the magnitude of the calamity and probable consequences at the instrument panel installed at the DHM and DAO, Sapkota said.

While the system has also been installed in Rakam besides Birendranagar in Surkhet, Sapkot said that the work to install the system at Tallo Dhungeshwor in Dailekh, Tatopani in Jumla, and Banga in Achham is ongoing. The initial cost for the installation of the system in all the locations is estimated to be around Rs 2.7 million.

Meanwhile, Dinanath Bhandari of Practical Action, Nepal said that the

instrument panels were installed at the DAO as

the information provided by the DAO is “official and

reliable”.

Chief District Officer Yagya Raj Bohora said the system would be crucial in helping mitigate damage to life and property through natural disasters.