Nepal has been devastated by the terrible Harpa volcano and floods on August 26. India stood by its neighbor as soon as the incident was reported. Apart from sending expert rescue teams, Delhi is also making relief arrangements. Nepal Prime Minister Balendra Shah on Wednesday thanked India for extending help in this way. Kathmandu also thanked China for the same reason.
Addressing the Nepali Parliament, Balendra Shah thanked India and China for their emergency assistance, specialist rescue teams and quick dispatch of relief supplies. “Our friends China and India sent experts. From day one, they conducted aerial operations to understand the extent of damage in the affected areas, to check whether it is possible to reach there or not,” he said. The Prime Minister of Nepal also mentioned the severity of the disaster and the difficult rescue work. “This is an unusual situation. There is so much mud and silt at the site that not only the excavators but also the army or armed police force cannot stand,” he said. The work is going on by breaking such barriers.
Nepal administration said on Wednesday that 1127 people died in the destruction of Trishuli and Votkosi rivers. 4858 people are missing. So far 6541 people have been rescued alive. The administration still does not have a clear account of how many houses, offices, bridges, shops and markets were destroyed in the terrible disaster. The damage is estimated to be several lakhs of rupees. The Balendra Shah government is practically disoriented by such a big disaster in a fragile economy. In this situation, Nepal demanded compensation from India and China yesterday.
Nepal's foreign minister complained, “China is the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gases due to industrialization. It is followed by America and India.”
Nepal claims that Kathmandu has to pay the fee only for countries that emit greenhouse gases. Balendra Shah's country mentions China, India and America in that list. In an interview given to 'Kathmandu Post', Nepal's Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal blamed the climate crisis for the disaster. He said, “Nepal's greenhouse gas emissions are very low compared to the major countries of the world. However, we have to bear the cost of various crises like temperature rise in the Himalayas, melting of glaciers, terrible tsunamis created in the mountains. These are caused by global climate change.” Shishir also said that Nepal is changing its position in receiving international aid. In his words, “We are changing our diplomatic stance. No more aid. This time we are moving towards justice and reparations. This is not a matter of kindness. It is a matter of legal and moral responsibility.”
Nepal's foreign minister also said, “China is the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gases due to industrialization. It is followed by America and India. So they have a responsibility to compensate countries like Nepal.” Shishir clarified that Nepal has already started the formal process of seeking compensation. According to him, Kathmandu will raise the matter with great firmness and clarity in every international forum. Shishir said, “It is a question of survival of our civilization. If the Himalayan glaciers disappear, more than 200 million people in South Asia, who depend on rivers like the Ganges and Trishuli, will suffer. We are making this demand not only for Nepal, but for the sake of South Asia.”