Nepal floods: PM, ministers pledge a month's salary to relief fund; Kathmandu to buy 25,000 MT of fertilisers from New Delhi

Kathmandu: Nepal's Prime Minister Balendra Shah and his council of ministers on Friday decided to deposit a month of their salaries to Prime Minister's Disaster Relief Fund in the wake of devastating floods in the country.

The decision was announced in a Facebook Post by the PMO, following the cabinet meeting today.

The cabinet also approved the Krishi Samagri Company Limited to purchase 25,000 metric tons of DAP fertiliser from India through G2G procurement.


Also Read| Nepal sends new flood warning after Tibet dam breach

The cabinet has directed the Finance Ministry to prepare a relief and rehabilitation package for individuals and business organisations affected by the floods.

The PMO stated, "The government has decided to deposit one month's salary/wages of all members of the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers in the Prime Minister's Disaster Relief Fund. The decision was taken at a cabinet meeting held at the Office of the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers today."

"Similarly, the meeting has decided to direct the Ministry of Finance to prepare a relief and rehabilitation package for individuals and business organisations affected by the floods that occurred in the districts of Rasuwagadhi and Bhotekoshi River and lower coastal areas on Wednesday. The meeting has also decided to give in-principle approval to the Krishi Samagri Company Limited to purchase 25,000 metric tons of DAP fertiliser from India through G2G procurement," the statement read.

The meeting has been called to take important decisions regarding the damage caused by the devastating flood in the Bhotekoshi area of Rasuwa, as well as rescue, relief and reconstruction efforts, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) Nepal stated on Facebook.

The crisis stems from a catastrophic flash flood that struck the Tibet-Nepal border on August 26, sending a powerful surge of water, sediment, and boulders through the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli river systems and leaving widespread devastation in its wake. Nepal is currently grappling with the aftermath of the major flash flood that struck the Rasuwa district on Wednesday morning.

Also Read| The silent Himalayan killer behind Nepal's deadly flood

There are concerns that fresh floods could be triggered after a large barrier lake formed near the confluence of the Chhochen Khola and Purepu Tsangpo rivers reportedly breached on Friday.

The Kathmandu Post reported that Rasuwa Chief District Officer Narendra Pariyar said that the Nepali Army had just informed him that the lake had breached.

People in the Trishuli area of Nepal were evacuated again as a heavy flow of water from above has threatened to raise the river's water level, Nepal Police stated after an earthquake of magnitude 5.1 jolted Longchang City in southwest China's Sichuan Province.

Authorities involved in rescue operations have so far recovered 475 bodies, The Kathmandu Post reported.