Khordha (Odisha) [India], August 27 (ANI): As devastating flash floods and landslides continue to impact several regions across Nepal, families of Indian nationals stranded in the neighbouring country have made desperate appeals to both the Centre and their respective state governments for urgent search and rescue operations.
In Odisha's Khordha, deep anxiety has gripped the family of Sandeep Mahapatra, an Australia-based professional who had travelled to Nepal for a pilgrimage to Kailash Mansarovar. Sandeep arrived in Nepal on August 22, and all communication was lost after he spoke to his family on the evening of August 25 while travelling on a bus near the Tibet border.
"We spoke briefly on the evening of August 25, and he mentioned that the mobile network was fluctuating. After that, on the 26th, I saw on TV that this incident had occurred. We immediately tried calling him, but his phone was out of network coverage and not reachable. We couldn't establish contact, and his phone is switched off," Swarup Mahapatra, his younger brother, told ANI.
"We have registered our grievance with the Odisha Chief Minister's Grievance Cell. I request the Government of India and the Government of Odisha to rescue my brother as quickly as possible so that he can return home safely soon," he added, noting that family members in Brahmapur (Berhampur) are also liaising with authorities.
In a similar ordeal in Ranchi, Jharkhand, the family of Ram Prasad has been frantically seeking information regarding his whereabouts. Ram Prasad was employed in an administrative role with an international engineering firm at the Upper Trishuli Hydropower Project site in Rasuwa--the epicentre of the disaster.
Speaking to ANI, his sister-in-law, Ditya Ghosh, stated that contact was completely severed following a brief text exchange on Wednesday morning.
"We are facing immense anxiety at home. We are hearing reports that many people--around 135 people--are trapped inside the tunnel. It is a hydropower project by Andritz at the Upper Trishuli project site in Rasuwa, which is the epicentre where this disaster occurred. Rescue efforts face massive challenges there--helicopters are unable to land, and the entire area below has turned into slush and mud. We plead with the Indian Government to provide full support and safely bring the Indian nationals back home. That is our only request to the government," Ghosh said.
Adding to the distress, in West Bengal's Hooghly district, mounting anxiety has gripped the family of Snehasis Dutta, a resident of Chaulpatti area in Tarakeswar, who went missing after being stranded in the floods. Dutta had embarked on a pilgrimage to Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar on August 21 through a local travel agency. While the family was able to stay in touch with him until last Wednesday, all communication has ceased since the flash floods hit the region, prompting his relatives to appeal for urgent official intervention.
With rescue and relief operations underway in the calamity-hit zones, families across states continue to await official word on the safety of their loved ones.
Meanwhile, a two-minute silence was observed in the Puducherry Legislative Assembly for all the victims who lost their lives in the catastrophe.
Nepal has been hit by devastating flash floods triggered by a massive surge in the Bhote Koshi River, causing loss of life, displacement and extensive damage to infrastructure, including homes, roads, bridges and hydropower facilities.
According to the Nepal Tourism Board 178 Indian nationals are among the missing after the devastating flash floods that struck the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli rivers in Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading and Gorkha districts a day earlier.
India has stepped up humanitarian assistance for Nepal, with the Ministry of External Affairs stating that a second flight carrying 37.5 tonnes of Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) material, medicines and food packets has departed for the flood-hit country.
Earlier, the Embassy of India in Nepal handed over 10 tonnes of relief materials to Nepal authorities. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar have also expressed solidarity with Nepal and assured all possible assistance. (ANI)
Nepal floods: Families across Odisha, Jharkhand, Bengal appeal for urgent rescue of missing relatives
