Effective role of City Local Authority for disaster management during and after earthquake in Nepal 2015

On 25 April and 12 May, 7.8 of Gorkha earthquake and 6.8 magnitude earthquake struck in Nepal respectively. About 5.4 million population of 14 districts were mostly affected in which about 8880 people have been died, 22309 people have been injured, about over 591647 houses were fully damaged and 276,000 were partially damaged during and after the natural disaster.International search and rescue teams: Total of 4,521 SAR personals from 34 countries and 141 canines were mobilized for SAR operation. International rescue team rescued 16 lives from the rubbles and recovered many dead bodies along with National Security Forces. During Nepal earthquake 2015 immediate response was taken by activating of National Emergency Operation Centre (NEOC), immediate rescue operation started, security forces mobilised, standby hospitals and health facility and treatment started in time. For search, rescue and relief operation total 66069 Army, 41776 Police, 24775 Armed Police Force, 175 KMC Police and 22500 civil servants were mobilized. Likewise 39 Helicopters from national and international sectors were mobilized. Role of Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC): Eight teams of engineers and other staffs were formed to mobilize within the city to collect data in affected areas. For relief distribution food items, non food items and other hygienic kits, chlorine tablets, medicines, shelter kits, protection kits, baby kits, dead body bags were distributed. On priority basis Rs.2, 000 -100, 000 were given to the affected families for immediate relief for food, for ritual and funeral ceremony per death and for temporary shelter. The other activities were road cleaning and demolishing of vulnerable houses. Possible ways for improvements: Disaster management committee at city level should be well functioning for relief distribution to earthquake victims in future.The way forward: Improved search and rescue capacity of KMC with strengthened storage capacity of essential items. Impact: An effective emergency management to the earthquake victims of KMC was done successfully.