DEHRADUN: Rescue agencies in Nepal are battling rough weather and terrain to reach more than 500 people believed to be trapped inside at least six hydro-power projects in the flash flood-hit areas, including the one in Rasuwa district, Nepal’s armed police told TOI on Saturday.The operations at the hydro-power plants are being carried out by the Nepalese army along with Nepal Armed Police Force (NAPF). While the army has deployed around 7,000 troops in the affected areas, NAPF has pressed nearly 4,000 personnel into service.Speaking with TOI, NAPF spokesperson, deputy inspector general Netra Bahadur Karki, said: “The agencies’ focus is on the six projects which are upper Trishuli, upper Trishuli-1, Rasuwa hydropower, Trishuli 3A, Chilime Khola and Langtang hydropower projects. The exact number of people trapped inside is yet to be ascertained, but it is believed that at least 500 are stuck.”The joint teams are working continuously with available resources such as drones to rescue them, Karki said, adding the inclement weather along with road connectivity issues were making their task more difficult.“Due to rains, we’d to halt the operation in the morning and resume in the afternoon. Also, the road has been cleared for traffic for four wheelers upto Dhunche in Rasuwa district. Beyond that, only helicopters remain the mode of transport,” the officer said.Adding to the challenges, there are huge boulders and massive slush near hydropower sites, making it difficult to clear exit points to reach out to those trapped, said Karki. “The current rescue operations are one of the most challenging ones the force has ever taken up… 13 of our personnel have been missing since the first day of the tragedy.”A six-year-old girl trapped in slush under a damaged house in Rasuwa’s Timure area was rescued miraculously on Friday evening, Karki further said, adding that “the child remained under the debris for almost 60 hours before NAPF personnel spotted her due to her whimpers. She was identified as Manisha while her parents are yet to be found.”Meanwhile, Nepal’s army spokesperson, Brig Gen Rajaram Basnet told TOI Saturday: “Personnel involved in the rescue operations have to change their modus operandi frequently due to unfavourable weather conditions. Our personnel at Trishuli 3A hydropower tunnel are using drilling machines to locate the tunnel’s exit point amid massive amounts of mud, slush, boulders deposited by the floods…”According to the officer, till 2.30pm on Saturday, the army men had airlifted 208 more people, including 38 Chinese and five Indian nationals, from Rasuwa to safer places.
