'It appears to be a combination: A glacier breaking away, and a dam-like formation downstream reaching capacity and releasing water suddenly.'
Following devastating flash floods in Nepal, experts are calling for systematic scientific assessments of glaciers to understand and mitigate hazards, alongside the development of a robust land use policy for the Himalayan region. The floods, which killed over 460 people and left thousands missing, are believed to be linked to climate change impacts on glaciers and permafrost.
A Thane family is desperately searching for their 28-year-old son, Abhishek Ghone, who went missing in Nepal after flash floods struck during his Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage. Despite using AI tools to track his location, the family seeks official verification and urges authorities to provide concrete information about his whereabouts.
Usha Vedasalam completed the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra just a week before the devastating floods in Nepal. This is her account of the pilgrimage.
India's UPI International payment system is now playing a crucial role in humanitarian efforts, enabling seamless disaster relief donations from Indian users to Nepal's Prime Minister Disaster Relief Fund, showcasing its growing global acceptance and utility beyond tourism. UPI IMAGE: Kindly note that this image has been posted for representational purposes only. Photograph: Unsplash Key Points UPI International, initially for Indian tourists, is now facilitating disaster relief donations to Nepal's Prime Minister Disaster Relief Fund. The embassy of Nepal in India is actively encouraging Indian users to utilise their UPI apps for these contributions. This marks a significant shift, expanding UPI's cross-border use case beyond tourism to include inbound collection for foreign governments. The move positions UPI International alongside global payment giants like Alipay+ and UnionPay for international aid. Donors need to activate the UPI International feature on their apps to transact, with amounts converted from INR to NPR.
Two men, Kabir Maharjan and Sanjay Sah, have been rescued alive from a tunnel at the Trishuli 3A hydropower project in central Nepal, nine days after a devastating flash flood tore through the Trishuli River corridor.
India has provided 68.5 tonnes of relief materials to flood-hit Nepal and sent technical teams, forensic experts and equipment to assist in search and rescue operations, the Indian embassy said.
A new barrier lake has formed near the source of Nepal's Bhote Koshi River, with Chinese authorities warning of a potential breach. This poses a fresh flood risk to downstream areas in Nepal, prompting warnings for residents and calls for diplomatic consultations to manage cross-border glacier risks.
Over 900 workers and employees are missing from various hydropower project sites in Nepal following massive flash floods triggered by an ice and rock collapse near the Nepal-Tibet border. Rescue teams, assisted by experts from India and China, are intensifying efforts to locate and extract hundreds believed to be trapped inside tunnels, with 279 already rescued amidst ongoing challenges.
Sikkim has identified 40 high-hazard glacial lakes, with 16 at the highest risk of catastrophic outbursts. Following a devastating GLOF in 2023, the state is developing India's first dedicated GLOF Risk Mitigation Protocol, using advanced monitoring and interdisciplinary approaches to protect downstream settlements and serve as a model for other Himalayan regions.
Over 130 Indian nationals, including Kailash Manasarovar Yatra pilgrims and tourists, are missing or stranded in Nepal following devastating flash floods that have cut off central districts and disrupted communication links. Indian states and the embassy in Kathmandu have launched helplines to assist those affected.
Five-year-old Ishara Tamang lies in a hospital bed in Kathmandu, injured and separated from her family, after surviving the flash floods that devastated Rasuwa district on the Nepal-Tibet border.She was rescued from the floodwaters in Khalte, a village in Rasuwa, after being trapped in a net.
Nepal has launched a diplomatic initiative to secure climate-related compensation from major greenhouse gas emitters, asserting that post-disaster assistance for recent deadly flash floods should be viewed as a moral and legal liability, not charity. Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal highlighted Nepal's disproportionate suffering from global warming despite negligible emissions, citing rapid glacier melt and extreme mountain disasters. The country has formally approached the Loss and Damage Fund board for urgent financial aid following a catastrophic flash flood in the Bhotekoshi river basin.
A group of 21 pilgrims from Tamil Nadu faced a terrifying ordeal during a pilgrimage to Mount Kailash when flash floods and mudslides struck Timure, Nepal. Despite being trapped in a raging torrent, a combination of miraculous coincidences, quick thinking, and the selfless heroism of a couple, Ratnakumar and Poonguzhali, ensured their survival. Indian and Tamil Nadu officials coordinated a swift rescue operation, bringing them safely back home.
An NRI couple from Vadodara, Kinnari and Mihir Patel, who travelled to Nepal from New Zealand, have gone missing after devastating flash floods hit the region, prompting their family to appeal to the government for swift rescue action.
India and China are in what experts call 'a cooperation-versus-competition situation'.
Devastating flash floods in Nepal, triggered by an ice and rock collapse, have led to over 900 deaths and 4,000 missing. Rescue operations by security personnel are severely hampered by critical shortages of specialised equipment, including thermal cameras, body bags, ropes, and helicopters. International assistance from India and China is aiding the search for missing workers, highlighting Nepal's long-standing disaster management capacity issues and inadequate funding.
"Everything was here before, but now there is nothing left," said Nayan Tiwari, one of many residents returning to flood-hit Galchhi in central Nepal to recover whatever belongings remain and to restore homes that once held their everyday lives.
India and China have agreed to advance discussions on an "Early and Substantial Harvest" of boundary delimitation and border management during the 25th round of Special Representatives talks between National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing. Both sides reached an eight-point consensus, committing to the 2005 Agreement on Political Parameters and Guiding Principles for Settlement. Key outcomes include enhancing border management, improving understanding of the Line of Actual Control, establishing new meeting points and hotlines, and continuing cooperation on trans-border rivers and pilgrimage.
'Only the Dalai Lama could have kept the Tibet issue alive the way he did.'
Devastating flash floods in Nepal's Bhote Koshi River, triggered by a glacier or ice rock collapse, have resulted in 175 recovered bodies and hundreds missing, including tourists. India has promptly responded by providing 10 tons of humanitarian aid and medical supplies, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi conveying condolences and assuring full support to Nepal.
India-China border trade via Uttarakhand's Lipulekh Pass is set to resume on August 1 after a gap of more than six years, with the neighbouring country granting permission to 20 Indian traders to visit Purang (Taklakot), according to officials.
'This is no longer a single-hazard problem; it is a cascading, multi-hazard problem. A landslide never occurs in isolation. This entire chain is the cascading effect of what looks, at first, like a single disaster.'
Survivors of the recent flash floods along Nepal's Bhotekoshi river have shared harrowing accounts of desperate escapes, witnessing homes collapse, and friends being swept away by torrents of water, mud, and debris. Many described a frantic race to higher ground as the 'monster thing' of water and mud approached.
A 42-year-old man, identified as Lobga Rangzen, died after setting himself on fire outside the United Nations headquarters in Manhattan. The act was an apparent protest, with a Tibetan flag and a 'CHINA OUT OF TIBET' slogan found at the scene, linking it to the ongoing Tibetan Independence Movement.
Experts from the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) suggest that an ice-rock avalanche originating in a high-altitude area likely triggered the devastating flash floods that swept across central Nepal districts, killing at least 95 people and leaving nearly 500 missing.
National security advisor Ajit Doval arrived in Beijing on Monday for a two-day visit to take part in the Special Representatives talks on the India-China boundary question with his Chinese counterpart and Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
National Security Advisor Ajit Doval is in Beijing for the 25th round of Special Representatives talks on the India-China boundary issue with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi. These crucial discussions precede Chinese President Xi Jinping's anticipated visit to India for the BRICS summit, offering a potential opportunity for a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The talks aim to address the long-standing border dispute and recurring tensions, with both sides emphasising the importance of peace and tranquillity for bilateral relations amidst recent reports of aggressive Chinese posturing in Arunachal Pradesh.
China has declared India's move to identify 27 places in Arunachal Pradesh by their standard names as "illegal, null and void," reiterating its claim over the region it calls Zangnan. India has consistently rejected China's renaming attempts, asserting Arunachal Pradesh as an integral part of India.
India on Tuesday conveyed to China the importance of maintaining peace and tranquility along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) for overall bilateral ties as national security advisor Ajit Doval held talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi focusing on delimitation of the frontier and sustaining work on trans-boundary cooperation.
Zesty, spicy, tasty recipe to try this monsoon.
A search and rescue operation is underway for at least 10 climbers, including renowned Nepali mountaineer Nirmal Purja, who are missing on Pakistan's Broad Peak following a suspected avalanche on Thursday.
While tensions have eased at several friction points and mechanisms for managing the boundary have been reactivated, underlying differences persist. Disputes over naming practices in Arunachal Pradesh, continued infrastructure development on both sides, and unresolved questions regarding patrolling rights indicate that the structural gap remains, notes Dr Kumar.
Himachal Pradesh is on high alert with schools and colleges shut in several districts as heavy rainfall triggers landslides, flash floods, and road closures, prompting authorities to issue warnings and activate emergency centres.
On August 5, 1953, Jawaharlal Nehru sent a strange note to the foreign secretary. It is worth mentioning because it was symptomatic of the lack of knowledge about Western Tibet in India and in South Block in particular, notes Claude Arpi.
The southwest monsoon has advanced across northern Indian states, leading to widespread rainfall, waterlogging, road blockages, and rain-related deaths, particularly in Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan. The Centre is monitoring the situation, especially concerning potential drought conditions in some areas due to the El Nino effect.
Nepal's Prime Minister Balendra Shah addressed parliament on the ongoing border dispute with India, stating both countries have agreed to seek resolution through diplomatic means and expert consultation. Shah's remarks about Nepal also encroaching on Indian territories have sparked controversy.
'Nehru was an idealist, he was certainly a visionary in one way, but Mao Zedong was not. Mao Zedong was a very down-to-earth strategist. He wanted to take Tibet, to take the plateau, to take the rivers, to take the minerals.'
Border trade between India and China through the Lipulekh Pass in Uttarakhand's Pithoragarh district is set to resume this year after a six-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
'We won not (only) because we were able to carry out long-range precision strikes.' 'That is, of course, one of the reasons but we had better situational awareness about what's happening than Pakistan.'
