Nepal suspended search operations forty days after the August 26 Bhotekoshi-Trishuli floods left 5,285 people missing. The list includes 189 Indians and many other foreign tourists. The government now shifted focus to reconstruction, planning to spend 559 billion Nepali rupees on 504 projects to help the flood-hit areas recover soon.
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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 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.
The disaster struck on August 26 after a devastating flash flood in the Bhotekoshi river system. It caused extensive damage to roads, bridges, settlements and hydropower projects. 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. Indians make up the largest group among the missing foreign nationals. 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.
The missing foreign tourists had travelled through different agencies for pilgrimages to Kailash Mansarovar and Gosaikunda around the Janai Purnima festival. 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.
The 189 missing Indians are from several states. The list includes 85 people from Tamil Nadu, 37 from West Bengal, 30 from Gujarat, 25 from Telangana, 22 from Uttar Pradesh, 13 each from Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, 12 from Bihar, 10 from Maharashtra and four from Odisha.
The decision to scale back the search operation has coincided with a large reconstruction plan. 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 NDRRMA has also been asked to identify projects whose costs have not so far been assessed and seek funds for them. The government plans to coordinate the rebuilding work through federal, provincial and local authorities. Early-warning systems are also part of the recovery plans.
Nepal is also preparing measures aimed at reducing the risk from future glacial and flood events. Earlier this month, the government announced plans to drain four high-altitude glacial lakes considered dangerous, with work planned by July 2027. The project includes gated drainage structures, sensors and a flood forecasting system.
The suspension does not mean that every search activity has stopped. Nepalese authorities have said urgent searches and emergency rescue operations will continue when required. Any human remains or valuables found during reconstruction work will also be recovered.
Officials are also preparing for the administrative consequences of the large number of people who have not been found. According to Reuters, 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.
The disaster has left major physical damage across the affected areas. Twelve hydropower projects were destroyed, while roads, bridges, farmland and settlements were also damaged by the floodwaters. Nepal estimates that early recovery and rehabilitation could require close to $5 billion.
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