KATHMANDU, June 4, 2024 (BSS/PTI) - Monsoon is expected to arrive in Nepal on June 13 and will last till July 1, the government has said, warning that as many as 1.8 million people could be affected by rain-related incidents during the season.

The Home Ministry on Monday unveiled the National Risk Minimisation and Preparedness Programme 2024 to deal with the upcoming monsoon season.

The ministry estimated that as many as 1.8 million people from 412,000 households will be affected by floods and landslides triggered by the monsoon rain in the Himalayan nation.

According to Dijan Bhattarai, Spokesperson at the National Disaster Risk Minimisation and Management Authority, around 83,000 families will be displaced due to the natural disaster this year, and 18,000 families will need direct relief materials.

The ministry has decided to mobilise 31,000 security personnel, including more than 10,000 Army personnel, to fight the upcoming disaster.
 
Nepal Army will keep helicopters on standby in Kathmandu, Pokhara, Itahari, Bharatpur and Surkhet to conduct rescue and relief works.
 
Last year, 63 people were killed in 679 disaster-related incidents across the country. At least 69 people were injured, and 30 people went missing due to natural disaster-related incidents. The government has asked people in the disaster-prone zones to remain alert.