KATHMANDU: Nepali Congress (NC) President Gagan Thapa has urged the government not to hesitate to seek international assistance for rescue operations, saying domestic expertise alone may not be sufficient to rescue people trapped in a tunnel.
Thapa made the remarks during a discussion with party office-bearers, central committee members and other stakeholders at the Nepali Congress central office in Sanepa, Lalitpur, on Sunday.
He said he had contacted the foreign minister and urged the government to seek assistance from other countries after receiving information that domestic expertise was insufficient for the tunnel rescue operation.
“After receiving information that it is not possible to carry out the tunnel rescue with our expertise alone, I contacted the foreign minister and requested that assistance be sought from a foreign country,” Thapa said.
He said seeking assistance from neighbouring countries or other nations during a disaster was a normal practice and should not be viewed as an issue of hesitation.
The Nepali Congress has decided to extend full support to the government in its response to floods, landslides and other natural disasters while also drawing attention to shortcomings in rescue and relief operations.
Thapa said supporting the government during a disaster is the responsibility of the opposition and that pointing out gaps and weaknesses in government operations should not be viewed as criticism, but as constructive support.
He also stressed the importance of local governments in disaster management and called on the federal government to coordinate closely with local authorities. “Disaster management cannot be effective by bypassing local governments,” he said.
Thapa also instructed all levels of the party not to organise public celebrations or programmes while the country is mourning and thousands of people have been affected by the disaster. He said the party’s focus should remain on rescue operations and the collection and distribution of relief materials.
“Festivals such as Haritalika Teej can be observed normally, but I urge everyone not to organise public celebrations or extravagant programmes,” he said.
A disaster management team led by Thapa is scheduled to visit the worst-affected areas from Monday to assess the situation on the ground and coordinate relief efforts.
Thapa said the party would provide further suggestions to and press the government for necessary action based on information gathered during the field visit.
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