CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay chaired a high-level emergency review meeting at the State Secretariat on Thursday to assess the situation of over 100 pilgrims from the state stranded in Nepal following devastating flash floods. The disaster struck after the Bhote Koshi river breached its banks in Nepal’s Rasuwa district, severing key road links and stranding thousands of pilgrims returning from the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra. In a series of swift administrative directives issued during the review meeting—attended by Chief Secretary M. Saikumar and Director General of Police Mahesh Kumar Agarwal—CM Vijay authorized high-level on-ground deployment and multi-agency coordination to expedite search, rescue, and evacuation measures.
As part of the emergency relief plan, CM Vijay directed Ashish Kumar (IAS), Resident Commissioner of Tamil Nadu House in New Delhi, to lead an official delegation directly to Kathmandu to liaise with the Indian Embassy in Nepal and local military authorities to trace missing individuals and streamline rescue operations. Simultaneously, a four-member cabinet team—comprising Public Works Minister Aadhav Arjuna, School Education Minister A. Rajmohan, Agriculture Minister R. Vinoth, and Non-Resident Tamils Welfare Minister K. Thennarasu—was tasked with setting up a 24×7 control hub at Tamil Nadu House in New Delhi. Rehabilitation Director R. Satheesh will assist the ministerial team in maintaining continuous communication with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and managing airlift logistics for the stranded pilgrims.
According to state government estimates, 103 to 106 pilgrims from various districts of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry were traveling in batches organized by regional tour operators when flash floods hit. The first batch of 57 pilgrims was organized via a travel agency based in Kumbakonam, while a second batch of 49 pilgrims traveled through a Chennai-based agency. While a group of 20 pilgrims managed to reach safety at an Armed Police Force outpost in Timure and are scheduled for immediate airlift, search and rescue efforts backed by the Nepalese military remain underway for the remaining members. Chief Minister Vijay confirmed that medical, psychological, and logistical support teams have been stationed to receive evacuees as soon as airlifts to New Delhi and Chennai begin, with 24×7 toll-free emergency helplines operational through the Department of Non-Resident Tamils Welfare to assist affected families.
