NEPAL has officially concluded the active search-and-rescue phase launched in the wake of the devastating August 26 floods in the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli rivers, shifting focus toward large-scale reconstruction after hopes of finding remaining survivors faded 40 days on.
The decision was formalised during a meeting of the National Council for Disaster Risk Reduction and Management chaired by Prime Minister Balendra Shah, where directives were issued to relevant agencies to expedite rehabilitation efforts while maintaining only essential search operations.
Xinhua reported that the Prime Minister's Secretariat confirmed that the transition follows technical recommendations from district security and disaster management committees, the Executive Committee of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA), and on-ground field assessment findings.
According to figures released by the NDRRMA, the disaster has claimed 1,455 confirmed lives, while 5,285 individuals remain unaccounted for as of 3 October.
To address the widespread destruction caused by the floods and broader monsoon-related disasters, the Council resolved to submit a 559.18 billion Nepalese rupee (3.62 billion US dollar) budget proposal to the Ministry of Finance to fund comprehensive rebuilding programmes.
Prime Minister Shah emphasized that response measures thus far have relied on close synergy across federal, provincial, and local governance tiers, confirming that the upcoming reconstruction and rehabilitation phase will follow the same multi-level framework. - October 6, 2026
