Kathmandu. It is hard to believe that a ‘divers’ who are involved in rescue by taking risks get only Rs 200 per day. However, the allowance of divers working in the Armed Police Force (APF) who are responsible for saving the lives of others by jumping into deep rivers and lakes is still Rs 200 per day.

In this context, the committee has drawn the attention of the bodies concerned to reconsider the daily incentive allowance provided to the people who are submerged in water and lakes, retrieving bodies and being on the front line during water-related incidents and accidents.

Concerns have been expressed about the lack of timely training and necessary equipment to the divers under the Armed Police Force, lack of incentive allowance even if they have to work by taking risk, lack of attraction towards this job and limited number of divers who have worked in the profession are also on the verge of leaving the profession.

Inaugurating the training organised by the Armed Police Force’s Gadhimai Brigade Makwanpur’s No. 17 Battalion, Chitwan, here today, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of the Armed Police Force (APF) Anjani Prasad Pokharel said the time has come to boost the morale of divers working in sensitive sectors risking their lives.

Acting Mayor of Bharatpur Metropolitan City, Chitrasen Adhikari, expressed his commitment to provide three life jackets fitted with high-end equipment. He said the metropolis was ready to provide incentive allowance to the divers who have to be involved in the rescue at any time risking their lives if they could help by formulating work procedures.

Chief District Officer of Chitwan, Ganesh Aryal, underscored the need to boost the morale of the health professionals as they play a crucial role in the river-based disasters.

Similarly, Superintendent of Police (SP) Dhan Bahadur Baniya, chief of the Armed Police Force Nepal No. 17 Battalion Headquarters, Chitwan, said that the participants of the 10-day training program will be trained in swimming ponds and Narayani rivers.

A 10-day refreshment training for 10 divers of the Armed Police Force (APF) Gadhimai Brigade has begun at Kurintar in Chitwan from today. Nepal had sent 25 Armed Police Force personnel to Bangladesh in 2068 BS for the first time in 2011 to provide training to divers.

The Armed Police Force (APF) has been imparting regular training at the Kurintar-based Disaster Management Academy where there are 16 divers. The Armed Police Force, educated from this school, has been providing ‘divers’ services in other provinces as per the need.

According to the Armed Police Force, there is still a compulsion to search for the dead bodies of divers in Nepal by bringing divers from abroad for almost a month.