Organisations from India that responded to Nepal earthquake relief as well as those that continue to work on the long term recovery process met on Thursday, for a one day consultation, “Nepal Recovery: Lessons Learnt And Ways Forward.” It was jointly organised by Tata Institute of Social Sciences and the Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana (BJS).
Speakers included Mr. Rakesh Sood, former Ambassador to Nepal and Mr. Vinod Menon, founder member National Disaster Management Authority of India. There was also Dr. Parasuraman, Director TISS and Mr. Shanthilal Muttha, president of BJS, with over 50 participants consisting of NGOs, corporate houses and donor organisations.
“The sub-continent has been facing an increasing number of disasters. This consultation is to consolidate and understand what we have learnt from the Nepal disaster and identify the way forward,” said Dr. Parasuraman.
“I am sure that the Indian NGOs along with the corporate houses would honour the Indian Prime Minister’s commitment to help our neighbouring country during these times of crisis, and through this consultation, identify ways to work with Governments of Nepal and India to enable the recovery process to be faster and inclusive,” said Mr. Muttha.
The consultation focused on key questions and topics - how the Indian Civil Society can respond effectively in a regional context, the linkages and synergies of response and support between Indian Government and Indian Civil Society, regional frameworks and systems to enable an effective disaster response mechanism by the Indian Government and Civil Society, and legal aspects that enable an environment for effective response (CSR, Taxation etc).
