Response mechanism in Nepal inadequate for scale of devastation, say experts

 As rescue and relief operations continued in flood-ravaged Nepal, climate experts and activists on Thursday said the scale of the disaster has overwhelmed existing response capacity, with affected families in the worst-hit districts struggling for food, shelter and access to relief.

Speaking to PTI Videos, Binod Prasad Parajuli, executive director of the Climate Risk and Resilience Lab in Nepal, said that the government has been responding, but the scale of devastation exceeds the existing response mechanisms and capacities, which aren't able to meet the extent of the damage and loss.

"The government of Nepal and related stakeholders' first priority is saving lives. Within that response window, the government, security forces, local authorities, and other stakeholders are working to locate any citizens who might still be trapped and alive. To do this, drone teams have been deployed from Kathmandu and are in the field trying to locate trapped individuals using thermal and optical cameras," Parajuli, who is currently leading efforts with the Nepal PMO and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA), told PTI.

He further stated that the government is coordinating with major commercial satellite companies to obtain high-resolution images soon, which aims to help make rapid damage assessment more efficient.

"In terms of impact, loss, and damage: the event occurred about 20 kilometres northeast of the Nepal-China border, in a district called Rasuwa, which was the first to receive this devastating impact. After Rasuwa, Nuwakot district was affected, followed by Dhading district. Our very initial assessment suggests at least 1,976 buildings are completely damaged, and around 38 kilometres of road are completely destroyed,” he said, adding that these are rapid assessment figures and are likely to change as more information comes in.

Parajuli noted that the figures are based on drone images, satellite images, and remote sensing analysis.

Pema Wangmo Lama, an indigenous climate activist from Nepal, said the accounts emerging from the ground point to a desperate situation, with survivors in the worst-hit areas struggling for basic necessities even as rescue efforts continue.

"Through one contact in Rasuwa, we reached a local government representative. According to them, people at the first flood-hit area moved to higher ground nearby and are sheltering in an open forest, still awaiting rescue," Lama told PTI Videos, adding that a helicopter had rescued around 12 to 13 people from the area on Thursday morning.

She stated that in a nearby part of Dhading district, road access remains closed, forcing the community to rely on limited resources they have at home. "But they are going to face a serious water shortage in the next few days."

Lama further noted that the conditions are comparatively better in Nuwakot, where many people who lost their homes are now in government-run shelters awaiting relief, and that, Trishuli Hospital in Nuwakot is also facing significant challenges while treating survivors and patients brought in for checkups.

"With hydropower disrupted, electricity is becoming a major concern. The hospital's information officer said they have very limited fuel capacity and need diesel, generators and similar support," Lama told PTI, adding that community members she spoke to said their phone batteries were running low with no way to charge them, further disrupting communication channels.

According to Lama, damaged infrastructure has made it very difficult to communicate with local communities, many of whom are increasingly anxious due to their inability to reach local governments swiftly.

Speaking about the cause of the disaster, she said that it remains unclear, with "multiple contradictory reports" in circulation.

"Rasuwa, the starting point of the flood, remains the most vulnerable area, with the Trishuli River at Bidhur municipality serving as the only remaining point of access. With all roads and other means of transport blocked or destroyed, rescue and relief operations are being carried out almost entirely by helicopter," Lama told PTI.

"The priority now is to build communication channels with both locals and officials to understand where the needs are and where people can safely go, since moving without accurate information risks adding to the casualty count," she added.

The death toll in the massive flash floods in Nepal rose to at least 162, leaving scores, including security personnel and foreign tourists, missing, and sweeping away properties in one of the country’s worst disasters in recent years, according to a media report.

The flash floods on Wednesday wreaked havoc across three districts in Nepal.

It was caused after an avalanche blocked the flow of the Lhende tributary of the Bhotekoshi and first hit Timure, near Nepal’s border with China at Rasuwagadhi, The Kathmandu Post reported.