A much-awaited bill relating to the disaster risk reduction and its management was registered at the Legislature-Parliament Secretariat on Monday.

The bill named as the 'Act to Revise and Integrate Acts Related to the Disaster Risk Mitigation and Management-2074 BS' focuses on protecting public life, public and private property, natural and cultural heritages, physical properties and minimising the disaster risk.

The bill also proposes setting up a Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, which will have ministers for finance; supplies; agriculture; home affairs; physical infrastructure and transport; women, children and social welfare; defence; forest and soil conservation; education; urban development; irrigation; information and communications; and federal affairs and local development as the members.

It has proposed to appoint the leader of the main opposition party, chief ministers of all states and the Army Chief as the members.

The council will mainly function as a body to endorse disaster management -related national policies and plans, to prepare necessary policies related to the disaster management for the local and State levels, to manage fiscal resources and evaluate disaster management- related efforts.

Besides, the bill has proposed to constitute an executive committee under the convenorhship of Home Minister to implement the policy and plans. The committee will have representatives from all ministries, all the three security agencies and Nepal Red Cross as well.

It has talked about the formation of a separate disaster management fund at the central level and National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Centre to declare the disaster- hit area, to operate works relating the disaster management and the formation of a disaster management committee at the local and provincial levels.

It may be noted that 148 people lost their lives to the recent monsoon floods and landslides in 32 districts of Tarai and hills, and the need for forming a separate council on disaster risk reduction and management was direly felt in its aftermath. RSS