Government honours Ncell for remarkable contribution in Early Warning System

KATHMANDU: The Government of Nepal has honoured Ncell for the company’s outstanding contribution in the implementation of the Early Warning System (EWS). Secretary of Water Resources and Irrigation, Sushil Chandra Tiwari, during the National Workshop on Early Warning System in Kathmandu on Thursday, handed over a letter of appreciation to Ncell.

This letter of appreciation has been provided to Ncell, recognizing the incomparable contribution made by the company in the communication of early warning messages of both hydrological and meteorological disasters.

Ncell is proud to spearhead and has been leading the effort since 2016 in collaboration with the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology (DHM) to ensure every Nepali is protected through the dissemination of early warning alerts.

In January of this year, Ncell and DHM signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to work together to disseminate early warning alerts to the public, covering 13 disasters triggered by hydrological and meteorological hazards. This includes alerts for Flood, Flash Flood, Rainfall, Thunderstorm, Wind gust, Landslide, Avalanche, Snowfall, Heatwave, Cold Weather, Forest Fire, Air Pollution, and Tornado.

In 2018 too, DHMand Society of Hydrologists and Meteorologists, SOHAM, Nepal had honoured Ncell with Dr. Rishi Ram Sharma Disaster Response and Readiness Award for Ncell’s contribution in early warning messaging. Dissemination of alerts in the event of impending disaster has proven to be a lifesaver for survivors.

This kind of cooperation plays a major role in saving the lives of thousands of people by providing early warning alerts to people living in vulnerable areas. Studies have shown that even though the incidence of floods is increasing, the human losses caused by them are significantly reduced due to early warning alerts.

Vishal Mani Upadhyay, Chief Regulatory and Legal Officer, said, “We are proud to have this collaboration with DHM, strengthening the Early Warning System. We are grateful for recognizing what we do to enhance the safety of our communities and the people we serve. We are committed to investing in initiatives that contribute to the well-being of the people of Nepal as we are here for Nepal and the Nepali people.”

Early warning SMS alerts ensure that people are pre-informed about the risk and can move to safe locations with their belongings, while organizations involved in disaster response and preparedness get time to act promptly.

Since 2016, Ncell has been disseminating flood early warning SMS alerts to people living in flood-prone areas, contributing to saving lives and properties from monsoon floods each year. Last year alone in 2023, the company disseminated over 9 million SMS alerts, pre-informing people from flood risk areas.