KATHMANDU – Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies Damodar Bhandari highlighted the need for curriculum and textbook containing information on earthquakes.
Minister Bhandari expressed so while inaugurating a photo exhibition organized by the Department of Mines and Geology as well as Sambahika Samaj Samuha, an organization of working women journalists in Nepal, here today to commemorate the Gorkha Earthquake that occurred in Nepal on April 25, 2015.
Bhandari emphasized incorporating information about earthquake, its causes and effects and preventive measures among others that, he viewed, would sensitize the students about seismic activities including quake thereby reducing the risk of the disaster.
He asserted, “A person could forget about the damages incurred by earthquake. The State cannot afford to forget or remain oblivious about it. I pledge to take initiatives on the behalf of the government to incorporate information about earthquake in the textbooks and curriculum of the schools.”
Stating that Nepal was an earthquake-prone zone, the Minister underscored a detailed study of the quake and observing a thorough precaution. He also drew attention towards building quake-resilient infrastructures to minimize the risk of quake.
Similarly, secretary at the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies, Krishna Bahadur Raut, said that the exhibition served as a reminder of the quake that caused a massive humanitarian, physical and economical loss.
It may be noted that an earthquake of 7.9 magnitude had jolted Nepal with an epicenter in Barpak of Gorkha district in April 25, 2015. The quake and subsequent aftershocks led to over 9 thousands deaths and over 22,000 injuries besides incurring damages to over 800,000 buildings across the country.
