NEW DELHI, Sept 30: Search and rescue operations continued in Nepal for the third consecutive day on Monday as more than 200 people were killed in floods and landslides in one of the worst rain-related disasters in the Himalayan nation in recent years.
The Indian Embassy in Nepal has said the officials were in touch with the Indian nationals who have been stranded due to floods and landslides in Nepal, adding that the embassy was arranging for their safe return. An emergency helpline number has also been established to assist the stranded Indian nationals.
The embassy is coordinating closely with Nepali authorities to facilitate the evacuation of Indian citizens who have been stranded due to floods. “Public Advisory 1/3: There has been widespread damage due to floods and landslides on account of record rainfall over the weekend. Our thoughts are with everyone affected. The Embassy has received intimation regarding citizens who are stranded because of this situation,” wrote the Indian Embassy in Nepal on X.
“2/3 The Embassy is in touch with some of these groups and arranging for their safe return. Embassy is also coordinating closely with Nepali authorities to facilitate the evacuation of Indian citizens who are stranded,” it added.
Incessant rainfall over the weekend triggered floods and landslides, wreaking havoc in Kathmandu and most of the districts of Nepal. At least 204 people have been killed, 89 injured and 33 are still missing in the continuous rainfall, floods, landslides and inundation, official sources said.
An all-party meeting convened on Sunday by Officiating Prime Minister Prakash Man Singh at the Prime Minister’s Office in Singha Durbar decided to enhance rescue, relief, and re-establishment efforts during the ongoing disaster caused by heavy rains. The Home Ministry said it would provide grants for temporary housing construction, repair blocked roads to restore transportation and ensure effective free health treatment for citizens injured in disaster incidents.
A task force was also formed to assess the details of the damage caused within a 15-day deadline. The Disaster Management Executive Committee said it would provide a relief amount to the families of those missing. If the missing person is not found within 10 days, their family will be provided the same amount as that given to the kin of a person killed in the rain-induced disaster, official sources said.
The Home Ministry said all security agencies have been deployed for relief efforts following the floods and landslides, and the Nepal Army, Nepal Police and Armed Police Force personnel have rescued around 4,500 disaster-affected individuals so far. While those injured are receiving free treatment, food and other emergency relief materials have been provided to others affected by the floods.
Hundreds of people are facing shortage of food, safe drinking water and sanitation in Kathmandu following the natural disaster, according to eyewitnesses. Market prices have also soared as vegetables coming from India and other districts of the country have been temporarily halted due to obstruction in major highways due to landslides.
Numerous roads throughout the nation are severely damaged, and all routes leading to the capital city, Kathmandu, are still blocked, leaving thousands of travellers stranded, media reports said. Home Ministry Spokesperson Rishiram Tiwari said efforts were underway to clear the obstructed highways to resume transportation.
At least 20 hydropower plants with a combined capacity of 1100 MW suffered damages due to floods and landslides triggered by the incessant rainfall in the past three days, which has led to the disruption in power supply in Kathmandu and other major cities. “Heavy rains since Friday have caused widespread flooding across Kathmandu Valley, and across Nepal. This is the worst flooding experienced in recent years,” said Jagan Chapagain, the Chief Executive Officer and Secretary General of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, in a post on X.
“A low-pressure system in the Bay of Bengal and the more northerly than usual position of the monsoon trough was the reason” behind the exceptionally intense rain, media reports said. Scientists say that while climate change is changing the amount and timing of rainfall across Asia, a key reason for the rise in the impact of floods is the built environment, including unplanned construction, especially on floodplains, which leaves insufficient areas for water retention and drainage.
(Manas Dasgupta)