Flood and landslide response intensified as PM Shah visits affected areas in Nuwakot

Dragon Media Correspondent

Prime Minister Balen Shah has returned to Kathmandu after visiting flood and landslide-affected areas in Nuwakot, where he directly assessed the situation and received briefings from affected citizens, local representatives, security personnel, health workers and teams involved in rescue and relief operations.

Shah said the situation remains challenging and that the government’s immediate priorities are saving lives, locating and rescuing missing people, treating the injured and delivering urgent relief to affected families.

According to the prime minister, a total of 13,295 security personnel have been deployed for search and rescue operations. They include 7,250 personnel from Nepal Police, 4,200 from the Nepal Army and 1,845 from the Armed Police Force.

Coordination and monitoring are being carried out through the Nepal Army’s Joint Operation Committee, the Quick Action Team of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority and the Rapid Action Team under the Prime Minister’s Office.

Rescue operations are continuing by both air and land. Shah said 69 helicopter flights were conducted on Thursday, rescuing 573 people. Additional helicopters remain on standby, while private helicopters have also been brought under the government’s command and coordination system.

Priority in aerial rescue is being given to patients, pregnant and postpartum women, children, senior citizens and persons with disabilities.

People stranded in affected areas of Rasuwa, Nuwakot and Dhading are being moved to safer locations. Temporary accommodation has been arranged in schools and public and community buildings for around 3,500 people.

For immediate relief, the government has mobilized Rs 10 million each for Rasuwa and Nuwakot and Rs 5 million for Dhading.

Ten truckloads of relief supplies, including instant noodles, biscuits, sleeping bags, mattresses and blankets, have been dispatched to affected areas. Food and other essential materials are also being delivered by helicopter where road access remains disrupted.

Temporary relief camps have been established to provide food, drinking water and basic services. The Nepal Red Cross, Nepal Scouts, Lions Clubs and other volunteer organizations have also been mobilized. According to Shah, the Red Cross has dispatched relief supplies sufficient for around 30,000 people.

The Health Emergency Operation Center has been activated. Bir Hospital, the National Trauma Center, Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, Civil Hospital, Patan Hospital and Nepal Police Hospital have been placed on standby.

One hundred emergency beds each have been prepared at Bir Hospital and the Trauma Center, while Patan Hospital has prepared 60 emergency beds.

The government has also ensured free treatment for affected and injured citizens. Medical teams, medicines, ambulances and blood transfusion services are being deployed as required.

A BHISHMA Cube field hospital system has also been dispatched toward Trishuli to provide emergency medical treatment closer to affected areas.

Relief supplies are being coordinated through the National Emergency Warehouse at Tribhuvan International Airport, the Nepal Army’s Maithili Barracks in Battar, Nuwakot, and the Baireni Barracks in Dhading.

Floods and landslides have also disrupted telecommunications. According to government figures, dozens of Nepal Telecom and Ncell sites have gone offline. Technical teams, generators and batteries are being transported to affected areas, including by helicopter, to restore services.

Both Nepal Telecom and Ncell have introduced free communication services for affected users, including voice calls, mobile data and SMS facilities.

The government has also prioritized the restoration of roads, bridges, drinking water systems, electricity and telecommunications infrastructure. Relevant ministries and agencies have been instructed to mobilize manpower, equipment and resources for rapid damage assessment and restoration.

Additional diesel, petrol and aviation fuel are being sent to affected districts to prevent shortages during relief and rescue operations.

Drone surveys and ground assessments are being carried out to identify stranded people, blocked roads, damaged infrastructure and access conditions so that relief and rescue operations can be better targeted.

Authorities are also closely monitoring water levels in the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli rivers, as well as the risk of further landslides. People living in vulnerable riverside areas of Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading, Gorkha and Chitwan have been urged to remain on high alert and move to safer areas if necessary.

Coordination is continuing among federal, provincial and local governments, security agencies, health institutions, the Red Cross, volunteer organizations and development partners.

The government has also said families of those killed will receive financial assistance in accordance with existing law, while identification and management of bodies are being handled systematically.

International assistance is also being mobilized for relief and recovery. Relief materials have been received from India, while coordination is underway with the United States, the European Union, the World Health Organization and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, among other partners.

“We are still at work,” Prime Minister Shah said. “The government stands with affected citizens in this time of crisis. All state mechanisms will remain in the field until rescue and relief operations are completed.”

He said the government would ensure that there is no shortage of resources for saving lives, searching for the missing, treating the injured, providing safe temporary shelter and restoring critical infrastructure.