Nepal forms 15-member parliamentary special committee to study Rasuwa floods

In the House of Representatives meeting on Monday, Speaker Dol Prasad Aryal presented the proposal to form a 15-member parliamentary special committee on the impact of climate change on the Himalayas, climate justice, and the Bhotekoshi-Trishuli disaster. The proposal was later endorsed by the House unanimously.

The devastating disaster that struck the Bhotekoshi-Trishuli river system has not only severely affected the lives, housing, transportation, energy, trade, agriculture and livelihoods of the citizens of the affected areas, but has also completely destroyed the entire Trishuli region. Its impact is not limited to the affected settlements, but has impacted the supply chain, public services and economic activities. This incident has shown the need to prioritise immediate search and rescue, safe rehabilitation, sustainable reconstruction, and future risk mitigation as a national priority. The impact of climate change in the Himalayan region, the state of glacial rivers and glacial lakes, changes in the Himalayan watershed, and the safety of the downstream areas are issues that need to be addressed seriously in the context of this disaster," the House Speaker said.

"The immediate causes of the disaster, the factors that are accelerating it, and the available scientific knowledge and expertise related to climate change are issues that need to be addressed. Addressing the causes of the disaster and addressing climate change requires putting the losses and damages suffered by the people and citizens at the centre of the comprehensive plan. For this, Nepal needs to develop a national vision based on scientific knowledge, and take strong diplomatic initiatives on climate finance, adaptation technologies and international cooperation, House Speaker Aryal said.

Speaker Aryal informed that there is a Terms of Reference (TOR) to study the impact of climate change on the Himalayan region and the Bhotekoshi flood in Rasuwa, and to recommend a course of action to be adopted by the state for the rehabilitation of flood-affected citizens, sustainable reconstruction, risk reduction, legal and institutional reforms and climate justice.

According to the Speaker, the parliamentary special committee includes MPs Achyutam Lamichhane, Anushka Shrestha, Gangadevi Shrestha, Ganesh Parajuli, Dhananjay Regmi, Dhruva Raj Rai, Nisha Dangi, Pushparaj Kandel, Mohan Acharya, Mingma Gyabu Sherpa, Ramesh Kumar Malla, Ravindra Patel, Saraswati Lama, Sujata Tamang and Sita Thapaliya.

He said that the committee has been given a mandate to review the changes and risks of Himalayan temperature, snowfall, glaciers, glacial lakes and watersheds, and recommend measures to strengthen the research system.

The Committee shall, within three months, present the conclusions of the study, the issues that need to be addressed immediately, the roadmap for sustainable reconstruction, legal and institutional reforms, and the recommendations in the report, including the body responsible for the implementation, the time frame, the necessary resources and monitoring indicators. It may submit interim reports or short-term recommendations on the issues that need to be addressed immediately, the House Speaker said.

The flood struck riverside settlements in Rasuwa district on the morning of August 26, rapidly affecting neighbouring areas, including Nuwakot and Dhading.

As of the latest figures, more than 1,400 people have been killed, with over 6,000 still unaccounted for.

Government forces mounted an intensive response from the first hours of the disaster. Security personnel from the Nepal Army, Nepal Police and Armed Police Force were mobilised in large numbers, peaking at more than 13,000. Helicopter sorties prioritised the critically injured, pregnant women, children, the elderly and persons with disabilities.

Infrastructure losses underscore the scale of the event. Eight operating hydropower projects (281 MW) and four under construction (388 MW) were damaged, disrupting 431.1 MW of generation capacity. Major sections of the Galchhi-Betrawati-Rasuwagadhi road and the Prithvi Highway were destroyed or heavily damaged, along with 48 suspension bridges and 31 motorable bridges.

While search efforts for the missing continue and unidentified bodies are being managed scientifically, with DNA samples preserved, the Prime Ministers remarks placed the human and economic toll within a larger narrative of rising Himalayan vulnerability linked to global climate change. (ANI)