Nepal floods highlight fragile Himalayan ecology: Manish Tewari
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Chandigarh: Congress MP Manish Tewari on Saturday termed the flash floods in Nepal “heartbreaking” and said the disaster underlined the need for greater caution in dealing with the fragile ecology of the Himalayan region.
According to Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, 626 bodies had been recovered in the floods as of 10 a.m. on Saturday. The toll is expected to rise as search and rescue teams continue to look for those missing.
“The tragedy in Nepal is really heartbreaking. The Himalayas are young fold mountains and, therefore, are very vulnerable and susceptible to any kind of climate change or infrastructure-building activity. The enormous tragedy in Nepal is once again a grim reminder that we need to be very careful with regard to the ecology of these young fold mountains,” Tewari told IANS.
“We need to be very cognisant of the entire spectacle of climate change because what unfortunately has unfolded in Tibet and Nepal is an example that warnings regarding global warming, if they are ignored, can have very devastating consequences,” he added.
The flash flood, which hit Nepal on Wednesday, originated in China’s Tibetan region and travelled through the transboundary Bhote Koshi river, causing widespread devastation in the Himalayan nation.
Bodies have been recovered from riverbanks in downstream districts along the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli river systems, including Rasuwa, Nuwakot and Dhading. Recovery operations are also underway in Chitwan, Gorkha, Tanahun, Nawalparasi East and Nawalparasi West.
Search and rescue operations are continuing across flood-affected districts, with police working alongside residents and other agencies to trace missing people and help those stranded in isolated areas.
Authorities are shifting rescued residents from high-risk locations to safer places. Rescue teams are also clearing roads blocked by landslide material and flood debris to restore connectivity and ensure the movement of relief assistance.