18 August, Kathmandu : Around 12 million text-messages were exchanged during three days under the free SMS (short message services) facility launched by the Nepal Telecom to assist the rescue and relief efforts in the floods and landslides-affected areas in different parts of the country.
In the aftermath of the devastations caused by the landslides and floods triggered by monsoon rains recently, NTC had announced the free SMS services within its communications network from August 13-15.
The free service was meant for assisting the post-disaster rescue and relief works and for the convenience of survivors so that they could have an easy way to communicate to their relatives, according to NTC Spokesperson Pratibha Baidya.
The Company decided to provide free service, realising its social responsibility in such adverse situation.
Likewise, the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, in this period, sent over 486 thousands alert messages to the people of affected areas by using the NTC network.
The company has already repaired 91 percent of its telecommunications equipments damaged by the incessant rains mainly in the eastern and central regions and they are already in functions.
