Kharge urges Centre to aid flood-hit Nepal, ensure safety of stranded Indians

Account subscription benefits alongside Premium Stories, Editorials, Opinions and more. Unlock these with Subscription

A Nepal Army official conduct a search and rescue operation along side a river area at Charaudi, in Dhading district, Nepal, on August 28, 2026. | Photo Credit: PTI

Congress president and Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging the government to provide humanitarian and relief assistance to flood-ravaged Nepal and intensify efforts to ensure the safety and evacuation of Indian nationals stranded there.

In his letter, dated August 28 but released on Saturday (August 29, 2026), Mr. Kharge said he was deeply concerned about the devastation caused by the floods, which, according to recent media reports, had claimed more than 600 lives and left thousands of people missing. Thousands of people were in urgent need of food, medicines, shelter and other essential assistance, he said.

“I request you to ensure that adequate humanitarian and relief assistance is provided to the affected people of Nepal in coordination with the Government of Nepal,” Mr. Kharge urged the Prime Minister.

He also raised concerns about Indian nationals and persons of Indian origin stranded in different parts of Nepal because of the floods, urging the Centre to issue necessary directions to intensify rescue and evacuation efforts and make arrangements for their safe and early return to India.

Referring to information from the Ministry of External Affairs , Mr. Kharge said around 320 Indian nationals remained uncontactable in Nepal and called for immediate steps to provide all possible assistance.

In a separate letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Mr. Kharge urged the government to consider extending “immediate and comprehensive” humanitarian and disaster-relief assistance to Nepal, underlining the deep and enduring ties between the two countries.

He said the deployment of National Disaster Response Force teams, wherever required and in coordination with the Nepal government, should also be considered to assist in rescue, evacuation and relief operations.

The NDRF’s expertise and experience in responding to natural disasters could provide valuable support in saving lives and bringing urgent relief to affected communities, Mr. Kharge said, urging the Home Ministry to treat the matter with “urgency and sensitivity”.

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.