Balen to Challenge China at US Forum Over Rescue Delay

SB Shah - Kathmandu. A devastating flood carrying heavy debris struck Nepal's hydroelectric project area, particularly in Rasuwa, Timure, and the Trishuli coastal region on Bhadra 10, pushing the country into a major tragedy. Hundreds of workers were trapped between life and death inside the dark tunnels of various hydroelectric projects, including Trishuli 3 'A'. Nine days after the incident, the safe emergence of Sanjay Sah and Kabir Maharjan brought hope that life still remains inside the remaining tunnels. However, this incident has raised serious questions about the state's disaster management and sensitivity toward time.

Value of Time and Delay in Foreign Assistance

We can see time tick away on the clock's hands, but we can never bring back lost time. The government's failure to pay adequate attention to the tunnels for the first four days of the disaster and its inability to bring in equipped international rescue teams from India and China on time proved to be a major diplomatic and administrative failure. Irresponsible statements like "there is no machine in the world to scoop tunnel mud" and general sluggishness led to the loss of precious initial time. Had foreign assistance with modern technology been deployed at the very beginning of the disaster, hundreds of citizens' lives could have been saved today.

Climate Justice and Neighboring China's Irresponsibility

Prime Minister Balendra (Balen) Shah, who is preparing to visit the United States for the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), must strongly raise Nepal's tragedy and the issue of climate justice on the global stage. Nepal is paying a heavy price due to the environmental negligence of neighboring China, the world's top carbon emitter. Due to extreme industrial pollution and unmanaged urbanization, regions of China such as Ordos Kangbashi, Yumen, and Lanzhou New Area have transformed into 'ghost cities' today. China's insensitivity in failing to provide cross-border 'hydrological data' and early warnings to Nepal during the critical time of the flood increases the risk of turning Nepal itself into a 'ghost country'. The international community must bring such irresponsible carbon-emitting nations under strict penalties and accountability.

Government Priorities Entangled in Publicity

There is widespread public outrage over the government's style of prioritizing publicity over rescue operations when citizens' lives are at risk. Prime Minister, while returning from your visit to the United States, please bring a good camera for the Home Minister so that photos and videos of the rescue operations come out in '4K quality'! Also, please bring a 'high configuration' 'gaming laptop' so that videos can be rendered and uploaded immediately from the field. No matter how delayed the rescue operation is, the public must get to watch the Home Minister's video on time!