Energy and Water Resources Minister stresses on reliable weather, disaster information

The government is to make the dissemination of information related to weather and disasters more reliable and credible by making the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology better-equipped and resourceful.

It is said that real-time information on hydrology and meteorology is being made available due to the equipment installed all over the country in recent days, and the government is going to make it more systematic.

Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Shakti Bahadur Basnet said this during the observation and inspection visit to the Department today.

On the occasion, he said the Department would be well-equipped for reliable weather forecasting.

Stating that huge loss of life and property has been prevented in various places of the country due to the flood and landslide forecasts, the Minister lauded the Department for its works for disseminating more information to the general public.

The Department currently provides information to the lawmakers of the House of Representatives, the National Assembly and the Province Assembly and to the chiefs and deputy chiefs of the local levels about the weather condition and the water level in the rivers in their respective districts.

Similarly, the Department sends SMS to the citizens of the flood and landslide-affected areas. These initiatives have helped in the prevention of loss of life and property.

Minister for Water Resources Basnet underscored on making disaster preparedness more effective in view of the erratic weather patterns and the associated problems that have been seen across the country and are ascribed to climate change.

He reiterated that the government is committed to strengthening and capacitating the Department-like institutions as it is necessary to adopt preparedness at a time when weather-associated problems such as excessive rainfall, patchy rainfall and drought are increasing.

Department Director-General Jagadishwar Man Karmacharya said although the weather forecasting some five to seven years back might be termed as unreliable, it has been made reliable in the recent days. He urged Minister Basnet to make the Department well-resourced.

At present the Department has been providing information on weather forecasts for 24 hours daily. It also issues special weather bulletins about the weather forecast for three and seven days as well. The weather forecasting has been made more reliable and accurate in collaboration with the various neighbouring countries as well.

Secretary at the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, Gopal Sigdel, was also present on the occasion.