KATHMANDU: Khabarhub brings you a glimpse of major developments of the day in Nepal, including politics, business/economy, sports, entertainment, and more.
Cabinet takes seven decisions, including relief for Bhotekoshi flood victims and public holiday on Gen-Z Martyrs’ Day
The government has decided to provide relief and concessions to people affected by the Bhotekoshi flood on August 26, provide risk allowances to security personnel and employees involved in rescue operations, and declare a public holiday on Gen-Z Martyrs’ Day. The decisions were taken at Thursday’s Cabinet meeting, which approved seven major measures. The Cabinet decided to accept a $5 million grant from the Asian Development Bank for emergency rescue and relief and protection of the lives of people affected by the Bhotekoshi flood. Similarly, the government decided to provide relief, tax and customs-duty exemptions, and other facilities under an integrated business recovery plan to individuals, industries, traders and businesses affected by flooding in the Bhotekoshi River in Rasuwa, with the aim of helping them resume operations immediately.
Bhotekoshi flood: 1,252 bodies recovered so far
A total of 1,252 bodies have been recovered from flood-affected areas following the Bhotekoshi disaster in Rasuwa, with hundreds still unidentified and thousands of people reported missing. Of the total, 127 bodies were recovered in Rasuwa, 177 in Nuwakot, 60 in Dhading, 355 in Chitwan, 69 in Gorkha, 38 in Tanahun, 218 in Nawalparasi East and 190 in Nawalparasi West. Another 18 bodies were recovered from areas along the Indian border and have been handed over to Nawalparasi West district. Central Police Spokesperson Abinarayan Kafle said 95 of the recovered bodies have so far been handed over to their relatives.
Bhotekoshi flood: 11,993 people rescued so far
A total of 11,993 people have been rescued from flood-affected areas following the Bhotekoshi disaster, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority. The Authority said 4,091 Nepali nationals and 273 foreign nationals were rescued through air operations conducted by the Nepali Army. NEA spokesperson Shanti Mahat said 5,135 people injured in the flood and other disaster-related incidents have received medical treatment. Of them, 3,206 were treated by the Nepali Army, 1,628 by the Armed Police Force Nepal and 301 at various hospitals. According to the authority, 3,948 rescued people are currently staying at holding centers. “Of them, 2,981 are in Nuwakot, 260 in Dhading, 320 in Rasuwa and 387 in Kathmandu,” spokesperson Mahat said.
Bhotekoshi flood: 30 missing individuals from Madhes contacted, 162 still unaccounted for
Thirty people reported missing from Madhes Province following the flash flood in the Bhotekoshi River in Rasuwa have been contacted, while 162 remain unaccounted for, police said. Senior Superintendent of Police Prabhu Prasad Dhakal, spokesperson for the Madhes Province Police Office in Janakpurdham, said contact had been established by telephone with 30 of the 192 people reported missing from the province. Those still unaccounted for include Gyan Bahadur Thing and Shyam Moktan of Sindhuli, who were residing in Birgunj Metropolitan City of Parsa; Satyam Ram of Kalaiya Sub-Metropolitan City-22, Bara; and Rupesh Gupta of Swarna Rural Municipality-3, Bara, according to Dhakal.
EU provides additional NPR 89 million in humanitarian aid to flood-hit communities in Nepal
The European Union (EU) is providing an additional NPR 89 million in humanitarian assistance to communities affected by the devastating flash floods in Nepal, bringing its total emergency funding for the disaster to more than NPR 445 million (EUR 2.5 million). The latest funding will support a Disaster Response Emergency Fund (DREF) operation of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), led by the Nepal Red Cross Society. The operation aims to assist up to 20,000 people, or around 4,000 households, in Bagmati Province with emergency and transitional shelter, cash assistance, water and sanitation services, healthcare, mental health and psychosocial support, protection and other essential assistance.
Pressure mounts on PM Shah to attend UN General Assembly after Bhotekoshi disaster
Uncertainty continues over whether Prime Minister Balendra Shah will attend the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly. Following Thursday’s Cabinet meeting, government spokesperson and Education Minister Sasmit Pokhrel avoided giving a clear answer when journalists asked whether the prime minister would travel to New York. With growing discussion that the Bhotekoshi flood of Bhadra 10 was linked to climate change, pressure has increased on Prime Minister Shah to attend the UN General Assembly and raise Nepal’s concerns on the global stage. However, Pokhrel, who is considered close to Prime Minister Shah, did not provide a clear indication of whether a decision had been made.
‘PM should raise Nepal’s climate case at UN, developed countries must pay compensation for carbon emissions’
Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) lawmaker Manish Jha has said Nepal should seek compensation from developed countries for the disasters the country is facing due to climate change. Speaking during the special session of the House of Representatives on Thursday, Jha said the flood in the Bhotekoshi River in Rasuwa was not caused by Nepal and that developed countries responsible for excessive carbon emissions must take responsibility for the resulting damage. “We should seek compensation from them, not relief. We should not ask them to send relief; we should demand compensation for carbon emissions,” he said. According to Jha, Nepal contributes less than 0.0025 percent of global carbon emissions, yet it has suffered significant losses from disasters linked to climate change.
Foreign Minister Khanal briefs diplomatic community on Rasuwa flood
Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal briefed the diplomatic community in Kathmandu on Thursday on the latest situation following the devastating Bhotekoshi flood, saying the safety of foreign nationals and search and rescue operations remain among the government’s top priorities. Ambassadors, heads and representatives of diplomatic missions, and representatives of international organizations, including the World Bank, Asian Development Bank and United Nations, attended the briefing at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Khanal briefed the participants on the disaster caused by the Bhotekoshi River flood at Rasuwagadhi on August 26, the government’s search and rescue operations, the situation of foreign nationals and the international assistance received so far.
Third batch of Chinese relief supplies, 10 more forensic experts arrive in Nepal
The third batch of emergency relief supplies provided by the Chinese government arrived in Nepal on Thursday afternoon. The relief materials were brought to Tribhuvan International Airport aboard a Y-20A large transport aircraft of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air Force. The same aircraft also brought 10 forensic experts, forming the fourth team of Chinese forensic specialists sent to Nepal to assist with ongoing work. Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Zhang Maoming and Nepal’s Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation Mahabir Pun attended a ceremony at the airport to receive the relief supplies and welcome the Chinese expert team.
Tree cutting begins on hill above Krishnabhir to prepare alternative road route
Tree cutting and clearing of bushes have begun on the hill above Krishnabhir along the Prithvi Highway. According to Sachendra Mishra, engineer at the western section of the Naubise–Muglin Road Project, 33 people have been mobilised to cut trees and clear bushes. Four of them are supervisors, while the rest are workers. Although bush clearing began on Wednesday, tree cutting started on Thursday. Mishra said clearing the hillside would help determine the most suitable location for opening a road track. The area is expected to be cleared within a day. Once the hill is cleared, experts will inspect the site and determine the appropriate location for opening the track. Work will then proceed according to their recommendations, Mishra said.
Rescue team continues clearing debris after opening Trishuli-3A tunnel entrance
Work is underway to clear mud and debris after the entrance to the cable duct tunnel of the Trishuli-3A Hydropower Project in Nuwakot was opened following the Bhotekoshi River flood in Rasuwa. According to the Nepali Army, a 93-member search and rescue team led by the Army, along with Chinese experts and other technicians, has been working at the project site with five excavators, compressors and breakers after the project’s tunnels and main structures were buried by the flood. There are concerns that people may be trapped inside. A debris pile measuring around 40 metres long and 20 metres high had blocked the tunnel entrance, containing large rocks and metal structures swept in by the flood. After continuous efforts around the clock, the team has managed to clear the materials and open an entrance measuring approximately 10 feet in length and four feet in height, according to the Nepali Army.
NHRC urges all three tiers of govt to make rescue, relief and rehabilitation efforts effective
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has urged all three tiers of government to make rescue, relief, treatment and rehabilitation efforts more effective in areas affected by the devastating floods in the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli rivers. In a statement issued on Thursday, NHRC Joint Secretary and Spokesperson Dr. Tikaram Pokhrel stressed that post-disaster rescue, relief and rehabilitation efforts should be carried out in a human rights-friendly manner. Dr. Pokhrel said the Commission had deployed monitoring teams to Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading and Chitwan to conduct initial monitoring of rescue operations, treatment of the injured and the human rights situation of people being kept at holding centres. The Commission expressed condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the floods and sympathies to those grieving, while wishing a speedy recovery to the injured.
Lawmaker KC calls for transparent and effective relief distribution
Nepali Congress lawmaker Arjun Nar Singh KC has called for immediate delivery of relief to disaster victims through a transparent, effective and inclusive all-party mechanism. Speaking at the House of Representatives meeting on Thursday, KC said displaced people in Rasuwa and areas across the Trishuli River were still waiting for basic relief, while local representatives were facing growing public anger. He urged the government to ensure that relief reaches victims immediately through a transparent, effective and inclusive mechanism involving all political parties. KC objected to the centralised approach adopted in the name of a “one-door system,” saying relief materials were being stockpiled at district headquarters while victims were being forced to spend nights without food.
Gyanendra Shahi questions government’s response to citizens trapped in hydropower tunnels
Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) lawmaker Gyanendra Shahi has accused the government of failing to take the search and rescue of people trapped inside hydropower project tunnels in Rasuwa and Nuwakot seriously following the Bhotekoshi floods. Speaking during a special session of the House of Representatives on Thursday, Shahi said only two of the seven hydropower project tunnels affected by the floods had been opened, while search and rescue operations had yet to begin effectively in the remaining five. “Not all the tunnel entrances have been blocked by the floods. Some entrances are still open,” he said. “If the tunnels were completely blocked, how did Lalbir Budha and Ramesh Budha from Jumla come out alive? No one has even entered those tunnels to search.” Shahi urged the government to immediately enter the five tunnels and begin search operations. He also accused the government of failing to hold adequate discussions with experts and engineers about the affected tunnels.
Two bodies recovered from Langtang tunnel
Two bodies have been recovered from the Langtang Hydropower Project tunnel in Rasuwa during an ongoing search and rescue operation for people believed to have been trapped inside following the devastating floods in the Bhotekoshi area. The bodies were found on Thursday, the eighth day since the disaster, as rescue teams continued their search for people who may have been trapped inside the tunnel. On Monday, a government rescue team attempted to enter the tunnel through the main route. However, after advancing to within 100 metres of the approximately 150-metre stretch, the team concluded that rescue operations could not be carried out through that route. The project company subsequently mobilized its own team and announced that it would conduct the search and rescue operation. On Tuesday, the company searched for and arranged the necessary equipment and materials at the tunnel site.
Japan provides emergency aid to Nepal in response to Bhotekoshi, Rasuwa flash floods
Japan has provided emergency relief supplies to communities affected by the flash floods and landslides in Bhotekoshi and Rasuwa, reaffirming its solidarity with Nepal during the disaster. Ambassador of Japan to Nepal Maeda Toru handed over emergency relief supplies from the people and Government of Japan to Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation Mahabir Pun at the Humanitarian Staging Area of Tribhuvan International Airport. The assistance package includes blankets, plastic sheets, sleeping pads, tents and portable jerry cans for communities affected by the disaster. During the Japan-Nepal Summit Telephone Call on September 1 and the Japan-Nepal Foreign Ministers’ Telephone Call on August 31, both the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Japan expressed their condolences for the victims of the flash floods and landslides that occurred on August 26 in areas near the Nepal-China border. They also conveyed their heartfelt sympathies to the victims’ families and all those affected by the disaster.
Floods and landslides disrupt transport services
Transport services have been disrupted along several major highways and road sections in Bagmati Province due to floods and landslides triggered by continuous rainfall. According to the latest details released by Nepal Police, several road sections have been completely blocked, while one-way traffic is operating on others. The Trishuli-Mailung-Syafrubesi road section is completely blocked at Khalte in Uttargaya Rural Municipality-5, Rasuwa, due to flooding and landslides.
LPG cylinders being filled outside Kathmandu Valley amid highway disruption
Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) bottling has begun outside Kathmandu Valley after a section of the Prithvi Highway at Krishna Bhir was washed away, disrupting the movement of LPG bullet tankers into the capital. As heavy LPG tankers have been unable to reach Kathmandu even through alternative routes, gas companies have started transporting empty cylinders to bottling plants outside the Valley, where they are being refilled and sent back to Kathmandu. Salt Trading Corporation’s STC Gas cylinders are being filled at Manoj Gas in Birgunj. Similarly, Baba Gas in Chitwan has filled and dispatched 1,500 Shree Gas cylinders to Kathmandu. The Shree Gas plant is located in Naubise, Dhading.
Comment