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KATHMANDU, July 2: The Ministry of Home Affairs and the Airlines Operators Association of Nepal on Tuesday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to deploy helicopters immediately for search and rescue operations during disasters within the Kathmandu Valley.
Representatives of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA), under the Home Ministry, and the Airlines Operators Association signed the MoU in the presence of Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak.
The agreement is valid for one year and may be renewed upon mutual consent. Engineer Dinesh Prasad Bhatt, Executive Director of NDRRMA, and Manoj Karki, President of the Airlines Operators Association signed the agreement.
As per the MoU, the association will ensure that helicopters are deployed free of cost for search and rescue within the Kathmandu Valley during times of disaster.
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In urgent situations where people’s lives are at risk, private helicopter companies will be mobilized under their social responsibility. The Association will assign private helicopter service providers on a rotational basis each day to remain on standby for rescue operations.
Details of the designated helicopter companies and their contact persons will be regularly updated and shared with the Home Ministry and the NDRRMA.
The designated helicopter service providers will be required to immediately respond to written or verbal requests from the Home Ministry to conduct rescue flights in disaster-hit areas. The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) will also be informed to coordinate and facilitate these flights.
If helicopter deployment is required outside the Kathmandu Valley, companies will operate at minimum cost, considering their corporate social responsibility. The government will reimburse the helicopter charges upon submission of bills and proof of flight authorized by the Ministry and related documents.
To ensure timely deployment, a coordination committee will be formed comprising representatives from the Home Ministry, NDRRMA, CAAN, and the Airlines Operators Association.
Following the signing, Home Minister Lekhak called the initiative a commendable start. “We are in the early phase of the monsoon, and there has already been significant loss of life and property. We are on alert for public safety,” he said.
He further stated, “The Nepali Army, Nepal Police, and Armed Police Force are actively engaged in disaster response and rescue operations.”
Minister Lekhak thanked the Airlines Operators Association for its commitment to support during disasters, emphasizing Nepal’s vulnerability to natural calamities, especially earthquakes, and the importance of preparedness to protect citizens.
