Agro sector incurs loss of Rs 8.64 b in flooding, landslides: MoAD

Kathmandu - The agricultural sector has incurred losses worth around Rs 8.64 billion due to recent sporadic incidents of flooding and landslides across the country, said the Ministry of Agricultural Development (MoAD).

The disaster has ruined most of the paddy plantations and fish farming in the worst disaster-hit Tarai districts in particular, said Minister for Agricultural Development Ram Krishna Yadav.

On dispensing relief to the flood victims, he said, a special relief package would be announced within August 26. He also informed that a high level committee has been formed, and relief programmes would be launched soon. He was speaking at a face-to-face programme at Reporters' Club in the Capital on Saturday.

"The disasters have taken toll of many lives of people, and damaged property. The government has decided to provide a relief of Rs 200,000 each to family of those killed in the calamities, Rs 25,000 for repairing damaged house and Rs 70 each for a flood victim to cover expense of daily snacks," he said.

Informing that the government was working at a speedy manner on rescue operation and relief distribution, the minister said the government has directed the local administration to distribute relief materials received from the centre at the earliest.

Saying that all relief materials like tarpaulin, clothing, food items, and utensils have been distributed through the government's one-door-policy, he said Rs 12 million collected from around 7,500 employees of government organisations under the MoAD would be deposited into the Prime Minister Disaster Relief Fund.

He also informed that there is a probability of exempting or waiving interest of bank loan for those flood victims who had taken out loan from Agricultural Development Bank.