Kathmandu: Forty days after the devastating Bhotekoshi-Trishuli floods left 1,455 people dead and 5,285 missing, Nepal has suspended non-essential search and rescue operations. The government has now moved towards reconstruction and rehabilitation in the flood-hit areas, with a proposed budget of 559 billion Nepali rupees (Rs 35,000 crore) for 504 programmes.
The disaster struck on August 26 after a devastating flash flood in the Bhotekoshi river system. Authorities rescued 13,795 people during the emergency response, according to Reuters. The missing list includes 189 Indian nationals, according to Nepal’s Department of Tourism. The data shows that 606 foreign tourists from 36 countries are still unaccounted for. The list also includes 65 Americans, 55 Malaysians, 54 Ukrainians, 37 Chinese, 33 Australians, 33 Latvians, 32 Britons and 30 Canadians. Another 188 Nepali tourists are also missing. Nepal’s authorities had earlier said that 310 foreign tourists were rescued, while 13 people who had lost contact were later traced and brought back into communication. Earlier this month, the government announced plans to drain four high-altitude glacial lakes considered dangerous, with work planned by July 2027.
The decision was taken at a meeting of Nepal’s National Council for Disaster Risk Reduction and Management chaired by Prime Minister Balendra Shah. Recommendations were submitted by district security committees, district disaster management authorities, the National Disaster Risk Reduction, the Management Authority (NDRRMA) and teams that inspected the affected areas. It caused extensive damage to roads, bridges, settlements and hydropower projects. Indians make up the largest group among the missing foreign nationals. The missing foreign tourists had travelled through different agencies for pilgrimages to Kailash Mansarovar and Gosaikunda around the Janai Purnima festival. Nepal is also preparing measures aimed at reducing the risk from future glacial and flood events. The project includes gated drainage structures, sensors and a flood forecasting system.
The country’s disaster management council has recommended that the finance ministry approve 559 billion Nepali rupees for 504 reconstruction and rehabilitation projects submitted by different ministries and government agencies.
The government has begun legal procedures to declare some of those missing as deceased, allowing families to deal with insurance claims and other administrative requirements, according to Reuters. The decision to scale back the search operation has coincided with a large reconstruction plan. Officials are also preparing for the administrative consequences of the large number of people who have not been found.
