The skies opened up, and the rains fell as predicted. But while the downpour was expected, the tragic consequences were avoidable. Floods, landslides, and highway blockades have paralyzed the nation. Yet, amid this chaos, one question looms: where is the government? And more importantly, where is the preparedness that could have saved lives?
As the floodwaters rose in Kathmandu, people trapped on their roofs cried out for help. A viral video from Nakkhu showed three (?) individuals stranded, clinging to life. For over half an hour, onlookers filmed the unfolding tragedy, waiting for help that never arrived. The Nakkhu river, just a stone’s throw away from government quarters, carried them away before rescuers could intervene. If this is happening in the capital – under the noses of ministers and the police – what hope is there for those stranded in rural Nepal?
Across the country, vital highways have been shut down due to landslides and road collapses. Here’s the grim status:
- Kathmandu – Chitwan road: Closed
- Kathmandu – Sindhuli road: Closed
- Mugling – Pokhara road: Closed
- Chitwan – Butwal road: Closed
- Kavre – Dolakha road: Closed
- Beni – Mustang road: Closed
- Kailali – Bajhang Bajura road: Closed
- Jhapa – Ilam road: Closed
People are stranded on these highways, stuck for hours, with some approaching the 24-hour mark, waiting for a miracle. But where are the rescue efforts? Where are the proactive measures that should have been in place, given that this catastrophe was forecasted days, if not weeks, in advance?
One journalist’s heartbroken post on social media reveals the true extent of our failure: “I watched the live footage for 30 minutes. Two policemen were deployed, but they were helpless. As we watched, the swollen Nakkhu river swept three people away. This happened within view of government quarters. Why was there no helicopter? Why wasn’t immediate action taken to save those lives?”
This tragic lack of preparedness raises haunting questions about Nepal’s ability to cope with natural disasters. The government called an emergency meeting earlier today – but why wasn’t this done before? Why wasn’t a plan enacted days ago to protect the vulnerable and ensure swift rescue operations? We’ve known about the risks for years. Where are the investments in early warning systems, in stronger infrastructure, and in coordinated disaster responses?
The floods have taken more than lives – they’ve stripped away the face of governance in Nepal. The Home Ministry’s reactive, rather than proactive, approach has been laid bare. Today, citizens are not just battling floods, but an ineffective system that waits too long to act, while lives and livelihoods are swept away.
This disaster serves as a wake-up call for all of us. If this is how the government handles a predictable monsoon flood, what will happen when a larger, more sudden disaster – like an earthquake – strikes? Are we prepared at all? What are we going to do to be better prepared?
What has happened has happened. Please let’s take this as a lesson learnt to seriously work towards being better prepared for what is to come and not forget about today (along with what should and could have been done ahead of time to prevent it) when tomorrow looms large.
