Kathmandu, June 9: Home Minister Govinda Raj Joshi has said that efforts are being made to provide relief to those affected by heavy rains last week. Heavy downpour triggered flash flood causing some loss of life and property, and damage to physical infrastructures, he added.

Making a statement of public importance at the House of Representatives and the National Assembly today, Home Minister Joshi said the construction of embankment along the border in Banke district by the Indian government is likely cause flooding thereby affecting 1723 households and 1951 families. Efforts are underway to immediately shift the vulnerable families to a safer place and provide them with necessary relief materials, he added.

The Mahakali river flood caused by the heavy rains swept away the bridges at Jauljibi and Dattu on the Nepal-India border, damaged a bridge near Khalanga district headquarters thereby disrupting movement, washed away the embankment near the forest office at Bangabazaar, destroyed the diversion constructed by Baitadi-Darchula road project and swept away one woman and a child.

Likewise, the Seti river flood has affected about 70 families at Dungad VDC in Baitadi district, he said, adding as a precaution some families are being shifted to safer places and relief is being provided to the 30 families at ward Nos. 5 and 6 of Khairichandanpur VDC, Bardiya district who were affected by the Chandanpur river flood.

He also gave details about the damage caused by river floods in Bajhang district and said that efforts are being made in coordination with all sectors concerned to provide timely relief to the affected people.

Informing parliament about the incident that took place in Panchkatiya of Jajarkot district on Wednesday said since it was raining hard when exchange of fire was taking place between the police personnel of Panchkatiya police post and the terrorists in the night, the police personnel were instructed from the centre to leave the post and go to the district headquarters.

So far, 36 police personnel along with their arms have reached the district headquarters, he said, adding five others have not reached the district headquarters but are safe and sound, while a search is under way for the rest.

Two Maoists were killed when the police personnel retaliated after they came under the attack of Maoists when they were returning from the site of the incident.

Since a helicopter they flew from Kathmandu could not reach the site of incident due to bad weather, further details are not yet available, he said.