India has delivered a second consignment of 37.5 tonnes of humanitarian assistance to flood-ravaged Nepal, taking the total relief material sent by New Delhi to 47.5 tonnes as search and rescue operations intensify following the devastating flash floods. The latest consignment, comprising Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) material, medicines and food packets, reached Nepal on Thursday and was handed over to Nepal’s Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation Mahabir Pun.
The shipment follows a 10-tonne consignment dispatched on Wednesday, hours after the scale of the disaster began to emerge. The two airlifts together have delivered 47.5 tonnes of emergency supplies to support Nepal’s rescue and relief operations.
Relief effort scaled up
Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said two aircraft carrying humanitarian assistance had been sent to Kathmandu. The consignments included eight tonnes of medicines and one tonne of food items, besides other emergency supplies.
The relief package includes temporary shelters, blankets, hygiene kits, solar lamps, dewatering pumps, kitchen sets and generator sets, intended to support people displaced or stranded by the floods.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said India remained in close and continuous contact with Nepalese authorities and would continue supporting the relief operation.
India has also indicated that additional assistance is being mobilised as authorities assess requirements on the ground.
The first relief flight, a C-130J Hercules aircraft, departed India on Wednesday evening carrying around 10 tonnes of supplies. The second, substantially larger consignment was transported on Thursday as the Indian Air Force expanded its humanitarian operation.
Search for Indians
Alongside the relief mission, Indian authorities are working to establish the whereabouts and safety of nationals caught in the affected areas.
Jaishankar held a review meeting with Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, senior MEA officials and India’s ambassadors in Kathmandu and Beijing to assess the situation. The ministry is coordinating with state governments, tour operators, project authorities and Nepalese agencies to gather information about Indians who remain out of contact.
MEA officials said 288 Indian nationals remained uncontactable as of Thursday afternoon, although figures have been changing as communication is restored and rescue teams reach isolated areas.
The floods have caused extensive destruction along the Bhote Koshi river system after a massive surge swept through parts of central Nepal near the Tibet border. Roads, settlements and hydropower infrastructure have suffered major damage, complicating rescue operations.
Neighbourhood response
The disaster has also prompted heightened vigilance downstream in India. Authorities in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh have been asked to closely monitor river levels, while disaster-response teams have been placed on alert.
The Central Water Commission has been tracking the movement of floodwaters through the Trishuli-Gandak river system amid concerns over possible downstream effects.
India’s rapid airlift has become one of the first major international responses to the disaster. With rescue operations still under way and hundreds of people unaccounted for, New Delhi has said its assistance will continue in coordination with Kathmandu as Nepal confronts the enormous task of rescue, relief and eventual rehabilitation.