Airlines Operators’ Association decides to halt all services from tomorrow
The Airlines Operators’ Association of Nepal has decided to halt all the services from tomorrow.
The Association decided to suspend all the flights demanding withdrawal of irresponsible decisions made by the Ministry of Cultural, Tourism and Civil Aviation and Nepal Civil Aviation Authority.
Issuing a statement on Tuesday, the airlines operators said that they were forced to halt all the services after the government did not address their demands.
The Airlines Operators’ Association has been demanding that the government roll back all its decisions at the earliest.
The government has been saying that the planes and helicopters of the private sector cannot park in the Tribhuvan International Airport and also has been saying that there should be two pilots on a single-engine helicopter among others.
Saying that there are lack of technicians and various physical infrastructure has also not been developed properly in other airports, the airlines operators said that they have not option than to park the planes and helicopters in the Tribhuvan International Airport.
Assam flood: Situation worsens as 11 die in last 24 hrs, death toll at 81
The flood situation in Assam deteriorated further on Monday with the death of 11 more persons, taking the death toll to 81, officials said, adding that around 48 lakh people have been affected in 32 of the state's 34 districts, Business Standard reported.
Even as the national and state agencies, including the National Disaster Response Force, are working round-the-clock in the relief and rescue operations, the Assamgovernment has asked the Army to be on stand-by mode to reach out to the affected people.
According to the officials of the AssamState Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), the fresh deaths were reported from eight districts while seven persons are missing in five districts.
The officials said that since April this year, due to pre-monsoon and monsoon rain, 64 people including children and women were killed while 17 people died due to landslides.
An ASDMA bulletin on Monday night said that 47,72,140 people, including 10,43,382 children, have been affected by the floods.
In all, 810 relief camps and 615 relief distribution centres have been opened in all the affected areas. A total of 2,31,819 people are staying in the relief camps while over 1,13,485 hectares of crops have been damaged, according to Business Standard.
The water in five rivers -- Brahmaputra, Kopili, Beki, Pagladiya, Puthimari -- is flowing above the danger level at several places.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma tweeted: "Hon HM Amit Shah Ji called twice since morning to enquire about the flood situation in Assam. He informed that a team of officials shall soon be sent by the Ministry of Home Affairs to assess the damages caused by the natural calamity. Grateful to HM for his help."
Sarma on Monday held a video conference with the Deputy Commissioners to review the prevailing flood situation.
Considering the widespread damage caused by the floods, Sarma asked the DCs to use the services of NDRF and State Disaster Response Force personnel and if required the Army to reach out to the marooned people.
Meanwhile, senior Congress leader Debabrata Saikia in a letter to Prime minister Narendra Modi has sought special central assistance for flood-ravaged Assam, Business Standard reported.
Indian Embassy in Kathmandu organizes program to mark International Yoga Day (With photos)
The Indian Embassy in Kathmandu organized a program on the occasion of International Yoga Day on Tuesday.
Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and Minister for Communication and Information Technology Gyandendra Bahadur Karki among others took part in the program.
As per the decision of the United Nations General Assembly in 2014, the International Yoga Day has been observed on June 21 since 2015.
Nepal had supported India’s proposal to declare the International Yoga Day at the 69th General Assembly of the United Nations.
The permanent member states of the United Nations including the European Union also extended their support after Nepal supported the proposal.
Assam: India floods destroy millions of homes and dreams
"There was water everywhere, but not a single drop to drink."
That is how Ronju Chowdhary described the scene outside her house on Saturday. She lives in Udiana, a remote village in the north-eastern Indian state of Assam, which has been hit by severe floods.
It had been raining incessantly, she remembers. The water rose so quickly that the streets were completely submerged within hours. When the water entered their home, she says the family huddled together in darkness trying to keep themselves safe.
Two days on, the family is still marooned in their house - now resembling a lonely island - amid a sea of water.
"We are surrounded by flood water from all sides. There's hardly any water to drink. Food is running short too. And now I hear that the water levels are further rising," Ms Chowdhary says. "What will happen to us?"
Unprecedented rainfall and flooding has left behind a trail of destruction in Assam, submerging villages, destroying crops, and wrecking homes. Authorities say that 33 of its 35 districts have been affected, killing at least 34 people and displacing more than 4.2 million, BBC reported.
Heavy rains have also lashed neighbouring Meghalaya state, where 18 people have died over the last week. In Assam, the government has opened 1,147 relief camps for the displaced, but authorities say their job has been complicated by the sheer intensity of the disaster. Even the rescue camps are in a dismal state.
"There is no drinking water in the camp. My son has a fever but I am unable to take him to the doctor," says Husna Begum, also a resident of Udiana. When water reached her home on Wednesday, the 28-year-old swam through the torrent in search of help. She is now sheltering in a rickety plastic tent with her two children.
"I have not seen something like this before. I've never seen such huge floods in my life," she says.
Floods routinely wreak havoc on the lives and livelihoods of millions living near the fertile riverbanks of the mighty Brahmaputra river, often called the lifeline of Assam. But experts say that factors like climate change, unchecked construction activities and rapid industrialisation have increased the frequency of extreme weather events.
This is the second time this year that Assam is grappling with such fierce floods - at least 39 people were killed in May. The state has already recorded rainfall 109% above average levels this month, according to the weather department. And the Brahmaputra is flowing above the danger mark at many places.
Residents and authorities the BBC spoke to describe the latest deluge as one of "biblical proportions" - one that has altered the social and economical fabric of the state.
"The situation is particularly alarming this time. Apart from the team of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), we have also deployed the army to aid the rescue operations," says Javir Rahul Suresh, a sub-divisional officer in Rangiya city, according to BBC.
"At this point, our priority is to save lives."
Entire settlements have been engulfed by rushing waters, almost resembling a huge river that had formed overnight.
In Guwahati, the main economic centre of Assam, neighbourhoods have been reduced to rubble. Lush fields where rice and paddy normally grew have turned into vast swamps of mud and debris.
Back in Udiana, there are no schools, hospitals, temples or mosques in sight - just water. People travel by boats made of banana leaves and bamboo sticks. Others just swim through the brown, green brackish waters despondently, their eyes lighting up at the sight of rescuers, whose bright orange uniforms are visible from a distance.
The damage is particularly alarming in Kamrup district, where hundreds of people are still reportedly trapped in their houses.
Siraj Ali, 64, says that when the water swept into his village and destroyed everything, he was scared for his life. Yet he stayed on, in a house which is now partly submerged under water, to guard his belongings and "a life-time of memories".
He said he sent his children to a roadside shelter camp, while he waited for help to reach him. But no one has come so far.
"I am surrounded by water but I have no water to drink. I don't have food. I have been starving for three days. What to do and where do I go?" he asks, his eyes welling up with tears, BBC reported.