A Kerala government agency, NORKA Roots, announced on Thursday that an estimated 53 Keralites, including several children, are stranded in Nepal following devastating floods. The agency, responsible for the welfare of non-resident Keralites, has been unable to establish direct communication with those affected due to severe network disruptions across the region.
Efforts to Locate Stranded Keralites
Rajesh Madhavan, CEO of NORKA Roots, confirmed that his team had consolidated information regarding the stranded individuals. "From that, we identified around 53 Keralites, including family members, adults, and children," Madhavan stated, noting that 17 distinct sets of information were received through the Chief Minister's and Chief Secretary's offices and collated by early Thursday morning.
Despite having contact numbers for all 53 individuals, the agency has not yet managed to reach them directly. Madhavan expressed, "We haven't been able to establish direct contact yet, but we have a general understanding that they are safe."
Coordination and Communication Challenges
The NORKA Roots Development Officer in Delhi is actively coordinating with the Resident Commissioner's Office and relaying critical information to the Indian Embassy in Nepal. The immediate priority is to pinpoint the last known locations of the stranded Keralites.
The agency has re-contacted family members who initially reached out for help, gathering the latest updates such as recent phone calls or specific travel plans. These crucial details have been shared with relevant authorities to aid in the search and rescue efforts. Once these locations are confirmed, NORKA Roots hopes to make direct contact and gather comprehensive information about their well-being and needs.
"We re-contacted the family members who had reached out to us to confirm details. We collected the latest updates available, such as whether they had called recently or mentioned travelling to a specific location," Madhavan explained, highlighting the collaborative effort to assist the stranded citizens.
No new reports of stranded Keralites have been received since the initial group of 53 was identified, indicating that the focus remains firmly on locating and assisting these individuals amidst the challenging conditions in Nepal.