CHENNAI: A delegation of Tamil Nadu Ministers comprising Aadhav Arjuna, A Raj Mohan, R Vinoth and K Thennarasu, on Friday, met Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and held discussions on the ongoing rescue operations in Nepal.
Official sources said the meeting focussed particularly on the safety, well-being and safe evacuation of Tamil Nadu residents who had travelled to Nepal, and on coordinating necessary assistance with the Union government for their rescue and return.
Tamil Nadu Government’s Special Representative in New Delhi, K Venkat Narayana, Chief Resident Commissioner R Jaya and NRT Commissioner R Sadheesh were also present during the meeting.
On Thursday, Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay reviewed the ongoing steps taken for rescuing the Tamils stranded in Nepal and deputed four Ministers to New Delhi to coordinate the measures for bringing back Tamils from Nepal safely.
Also, the CM deputed a team of officials led by the Resident Commissioner in New Delhi, Ashish Kumar, to Kathmandu to oversee the relief and rescue measures in coordination with Nepali authorities and facilitate the safe return of survivors.
The 21 Tamils who were rescued in Nepal after flash floods landed in New Delhi an hour ago. They were on a pilgrimage to Kailash Mansarovar and were rescued following the floods in Nepal. The pilgrims were evacuated to Kathmandu by the Nepal Army, after which the Indian Embassy made arrangements for their return to India.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar received them at the airport. During the interaction, they explained their harrowing experience in Nepal to the Union Minister. BJP State president Nainar Nagenthran was also there during the meeting.
Jaishankar, in his post on the X handle, said, "Was moved to hear their experience first-hand. Thank the Nepali Army and Government for this rescue effort. Appreciate the Embassy of India, Kathmandu’s facilitation of their smooth return to India."
Jaishankar expressed his relief that they were safe and to hear about their experiences during the ordeal. He said the Indian government remained focused on establishing contact with all Indians stranded in the affected areas.
More than 315 Indians were still believed to be unreachable, while around 85 had so far been rescued from different locations, including the group of 21 who had just arrived.
The rescued pilgrims, he said, were particularly grateful to the Nepal Army for its efforts in evacuating them from a difficult and dangerous location.
The External Affairs Minister also said that India's immediate priority was to support Nepal's rescue and relief operations. He said he had spoken to the Nepali Foreign Minister in the morning and offered a range of assistance, which Nepal was currently assessing according to its requirements.
As part of the assistance, India was sending a team of experts to help rescue people who might be trapped in a tunnel at a hydroelectric project. Bailey bridges were also being sent to areas where they were needed. Medical teams could be deployed as well, while National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel would be sent if Nepal requested them.
Jaishankar added that two aircraft carrying relief supplies had already been sent to Nepal and a third aircraft was scheduled to depart later in the day.
