Nepal Flash Floods: CM speaks to Sikkim pilgrims, assures assistance

BIJOY GURUNG

Eight Mansarovar Yatris from Sikkim safe on Tibetan side, SSDMA coordinating with MEA for alternative return routes

GANGTOK,: A State government task force is maintaining regular coordination with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and remaining in continuous touch with eight Sikkim residents who had crossed into the Tibetan side through the Nepal-China border just a night before a GLOF-induced flash flood devastated the Nepal side.

The eight Sikkim residents had reached Kathmandu on August 24 to undertake the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra into the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR), crossing through the Nepal-China border in Rasuwa district. They are currently safe in Saga County on the Tibetan side, but their return journey has been thrown into uncertainty after the flash flood washed away the border infrastructure on the Nepal side.

Pilgrims travelling from Kathmandu to undertake the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra usually proceed to Rasuwagadhi in Nepal and the Gyirong border point in China before crossing into the TAR region. Both the land border checkposts of the two countries were washed away following the flash flood in the morning hours of August 26. Hundreds of people are missing after the flash flood wreaked havoc downstream in Rasuwa, Nuwakot and Dhading districts.

Fortunately, the eight Sikkim pilgrims and other travellers had crossed the Nepal-China border on the evening of August 25, just hours before the disaster. However, their movement was subsequently affected due to the flash flood on the Nepal side and damage caused at the Chinese border checkpost.

On August 27, the Sikkim group - – five women and two men - posted a video on social media saying they were safe and were in Saga County on the Tibetan side. We are here at Saga but we are uncertain about our return, and we request our Sikkim government to bring us home, they appealed.

The eight persons have been contacted and are reported to be safe, said the Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority (SSDMA) in a press statement issued on August 28.

As per the SSDMA, Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang-Golay spoke telephonically with the eight Sikkim residents on August 27, between 7:55 pm and 7:58 pm, to ascertain their safety and well-being.

Six members of the Sikkim group are from Gangtok, while two are from Geyzing district.

It was informed that the Sikkim group will continue with their Yatra as the route is unaffected on the TAR side. They are expected to complete the Yatra in 2-3 days, but there might be a delay on their return journey due to the devastation caused by the flash flood on the Nepal side, particularly along the Rasuwa route. Hundreds of pilgrims from India who crossed the border before the flash flood are similarly positioned regarding their return.

As per officials here, though the Rasuwa route no longer exists, there are other land routes through which the pilgrims can cross into Nepal from the Chinese side. However, it is a decision that has to be taken by the Nepal government regarding the opening of alternative entry routes for the stranded pilgrims on the TAR side.

“The task force is maintaining regular coordination with the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, and is also in continuous touch with the concerned Sikkim residents and their families to ascertain their status and facilitate assistance, wherever required,” said the SSDMA.

The task force had been constituted on August 27 to ensure effective coordination and timely assistance to Sikkim residents who may be stranded or affected by the flash flood situation in Nepal.

Meanwhile, the SSDMA has established a dedicated helpline at the State Emergency Operations Centre for families of Sikkim residents who may be stranded or affected by the flash flood situation in Nepal. The helpline is operational 24x7 and can be reached at 03592-201145, 03592-202461, and 03592-2025256.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), 320 Indian nationals remained out of contact following the deadly floods in Nepal, while 400 Indian nationals on the Chinese side were safe.

A MEA spokesperson said that 400 Indian nationals who were on the Chinese side were safe and able to contact their families. He said the Indian Embassy in China has been working with local authorities to ensure the evacuation of 400 people stranded on the Chinese side.

The floods, believed to have been triggered by an avalanche on a transboundary river between Nepal and China upstream of the Bhote Koshi River, have left a trail of destruction along the riverbanks downstream, sweeping away several human settlements, roads, hydropower projects and transmission infrastructure, among other facilities.

The death toll from the devastating floods in Nepal’s Bhotekoshi region has risen to 538, while hundreds remain missing, according to the latest update released by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) on Friday.