Disaster Information management system proves to be a boon

Kathmandu - Durga Devkota The disaster information management system (DIMS) in Kailali district is supporting the folks for risk reduction by providing information to the community prior to the flood. The DIMS brought in practice a decade ago has proved to be a boon for risk reduction in the district.

Information Management Officer at District Emergency Services Operation Centre Chetan Khadka said that the information system has supported for the reduction of flood-induced damages in the district. "DIMS is doing good in Kailali. It has helped save human lives and properties because of timely information of the possible disasters,"

Khadka added. In Kailali, water level measurement observation centres have been set up in 16 sites while rain gauges are fixed in 19 points to collect the information about possible flood in the local rivers. The officials deployed in those points immediately disseminate information to the people in lower river basin areas and vulnerable communities for their preparedness.

Dambar Nepali, an official working for the stream flow measurement, said that they measure the stream flow three times a day and disseminate the information in the lower river basin areas. "We take measurement every hour during the time of flood," he added. Likewise, Gauge Reader of Flood Pre-Information Centre of Department of Hydropower and Meteorology Parbati Gurung said that she collects information from her station in every 30 minutes during the time of flood.

Along with this, she receives information about the water level of Seti river in Dipayal and Bheri River as well and provides information to coordinators of different DIMS points at Patabhar in Bardiya and Daulatpur and Tikapur in Kailali. Likewise, she relays information to the administration, different local levels and Red Cross Society. The system developed in such a way has helped reduce the flood-induced damages in the society.

The DIMS units in Kailali district collect the situation of water level in Karnali and Mohana river which has become a great support in risk reduction, Chief District Officer of Kailali and Coordinator of District Natural Disaster Rescue Committee Yagya Raj Bohara said. This system is effective since the people of the river basin in the lower part could be shifted to the safer areas before the flood reaches there if the information is disseminated in time, he added.