Dahal urges wider mobilisation to tackle flood disaster

Nepal’s former prime minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has called for a broad-based response to the devastating floods in the country’s Himalayan region, urging the government to mobilise communities alongside security forces.

Speaking in parliament on Wednesday, Dahal said federal, provincial and local governments should work closely with elected representatives, civil society and residents in search, rescue and relief efforts following the disaster in the Bhotekoshi River area of Rasuwa district.

“Security personnel alone will not be enough; people must also be mobilised,” Dahal said.

He urged the government to address shortcomings in the post-flood rescue operation and focus on immediate relief, rehabilitation and long-term reconstruction.

Dahal, who leads the Nepali Communist Party, said the government should use the crisis to strengthen national coordination and cooperation. He recalled that opposition parties had supported governments during previous national emergencies, including the devastating 2015 earthquake.

He also linked the increasing risks in Nepal’s Himalayan region to climate change, calling for the country to push more strongly for climate justice at the international level.

Dahal’s remarks came as the government continues its response to the Bhotekoshi disaster, including search, rescue and relief operations for affected communities.