Miscellaneous
Disaster bill set to replace Natural Calamity Act-1982
The government has prepared a comprehensive bill to amend and integrate laws related to disaster risk mitigation and response, in a move to better address the problems created by natural and man-made calamities.The government has prepared a comprehensive bill to amend and integrate laws related to disaster risk mitigation and response, in a move to better address the problems created by natural and man-made calamities.
Endorsing the bill on Monday, the Cabinet decided to forward the legislation to Parliament for discussion. This will replace the Natural Calamity (Relief) Act-1982.
The new bill includes man-made disasters and envisages more powerful bodies to cope effectively with disasters hitting the country frequently.
According to authorities, the bill addresses more area than that covered by the existing laws, incorporating lessons learnt from the recent and past disasters.
The bill for the ‘Disaster Risk Mitigation and Management Act 2017’ includes epidemics, famine, influenza, forest fire, pandemic flu, animal terror, mine accidents, industrial accidents, arson, toxic gas, chemical or radiation leakage, gas explosion, environmental pollution and deforestation as non-natural disasters.
Citing the need of drastic improvements in the existing law, the Home Ministry had presented the bill a few days before the 2015 earthquake.
After the Gorkha Earthquake, the bill was put on hold due to the need to address problems posed by the tremors that took nearly 9,000 lives and caused property destruction amounting to $7 billion. Part of the blame was also pinned on the new constitution that was close to promulgation outlining a federal structure.
Joint-secretary at the Home Ministry Nirmala Adhikary Bhattarai said the country suffered a lot because of the latest disaster mainly due to a lack of proper coordination among the authorities. The perennial problems of flooding and landslides also affect large sections of the population.
The Home Ministry had been working on the bill for five years. The bill envisions a powerful national council led by the prime minister that represents major stakeholders including specialists on disaster management besides an executive committee led by the home minister.
A permanent National Disaster Risk Mitigation and Management Centre would be formed under the Home Ministry with provincial and local offices. The executive head of the centre will work as the member secretary of both the bodies.