New Delhi, Aug 28 (IANS) If China had issued timely and transparent warnings, it “could have significantly mitigated the devastation” caused in Nepal due to the massive flash floods, defence expert Major General P.K. Sehgal (Retd.) said on Friday.
His remark comes as the death toll from the devastating floods in Nepal’s Bhotekoshi region rose to 469, with 977 people still out of contact, according to the latest update released by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) on Friday.
Speaking to IANS, Major Gen Sehgal (retd) said: “There is absolutely no doubt that China could have significantly mitigated the damage caused due to the catastrophe in Nepal, had it issued timely and transparent early warnings –which it failed to provide.”
“Secondly, on social media, the people of Nepal are openly holding China responsible because due to heavy Chinese construction, the local ecology — which is already extremely fragile — (has been severely disturbed),” he added.
The Army veteran claimed that China’s own engineers had advised against large-scale construction, building dams, river diversion projects, tunnelling, and cutting new roads in these fragile zones, warning that it would be detrimental.
“Chinese decision-makers raised concerns as well, but the country’s establishment disregarded them,” he said.
Maj Gen Sehgal (retd) further stated: “As far as Nepal’s government is concerned, it has maintained a hushed silence as the nation gets large-scale equipment and money from China.”
The floods in the Himalayan nation, 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.
According to the NDRRMA, 469 bodies have been recovered from various districts, with the highest number — 178 bodies — recovered in Chitwan district, followed by 110 in Nawalparasi East. Likewise, 44 bodies were recovered in Gorkha, 37 in Nuwakot, 28 in Tanahun, 27 in Nawalparasi West, 23 in Dhading and 12 in Rasuwa, the authority said.
Of the 977 people out of contact, 517 are foreign nationals. The United States said that approximately 90 Americans may have been affected by the floods in Nepal, while China said that nearly 100 Chinese nationals remain missing on the Nepali side following Wednesday’s mudslide.
External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar on Friday received 21 pilgrims from Tamil Nadu who arrived at the Delhi airport from Kathmandu after being rescued from the devastating floods.
–IANS
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