The Ministry of Home Affairs has announced the establishment of 24-hour disaster call centres at emergency operation centres across all 77 districts as part of the government’s results-based Delivery-Based Governance initiative. The move follows the government’s 100-point governance reform action plan, which seeks to make public administration more result-oriented, effective, measurable and accountable while delivering visible improvements in citizens’ lives.
The ministry said the earlier disaster toll-free number 1149, which was mainly handled centrally, has been replaced by 1234 from Ashadh 26, 2083. The new arrangement is designed to make it easier for citizens and service users to report disaster-related information, problems, complaints and suggestions while ensuring that calls are handled closer to the affected location.
Under the new routing system, calls to 1234 from Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur will be handled by the National Emergency Operation Centre (NEOC) in Singhadurbar, while calls from the remaining 74 districts will be routed to the respective District Emergency Operation Centres (DEOCs). The ministry has urged the public to follow government disaster advisories, remain alert and prioritise personal safety.
