RAIPUR/The Chhattisgarh government has stepped up efforts to trace residents of the state caught up in floods and landslides in Nepal, with the status of nine people having been established so far while two others remain missing, officials said on Friday.
The monitoring was intensified following directions from Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, with the state administration coordinating with district authorities, central agencies and authorities in Nepal to ascertain the whereabouts of citizens from Chhattisgarh and facilitate their safe return.
Among those whose status is being verified are two women whose families have been contacted. Monika Yadav, a resident of Mahadev Ghat in Raipur, travelled to Nepal on August 22 and reportedly lost contact with her family following the floods. The administration is coordinating with the concerned agencies to establish her current whereabouts.
Similarly, contact has been established with the family of 65-year-old Manju Rai Chaudhary of Bilaspur, who had travelled to Nepal for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra. Officials are gathering and verifying information about her status.
Two others have been reported missing. Priyanka Chaudhary, 39, a Finnish citizen linked to Bilaspur, is untraceable in Nepal, according to information provided by her family. The administration is coordinating with relevant agencies to locate her.
Dr Meena Gupta, a British citizen from Surguja, has also been reported missing. Her last known location was the Rasuwagadhi Immigration Office on the Nepal-China border. Efforts are underway to establish her whereabouts.
Meanwhile, five residents of Raipur’s Mana area—Dinesh Ojha, Prem Singh Jagat, Narayan Sen, Yatendra Prakashi and Dinesh Singh Thakur—have been confirmed safe and are returning to Chhattisgarh. The five had travelled to Nepal on August 21.
The state government said it was maintaining close coordination with central agencies and the Nepalese authorities and providing assistance to the families of those affected.
It has appealed to people to immediately inform the administration if they have any information about Chhattisgarh residents currently in Nepal.
The state has activated a helpline for assistance. The toll-free number is 1070, while the control room can be contacted at 0771-2223471.