Nepal airport resumes ops, Centre steps up to evacuate stranded Indians

Several states in India launched special cells to assist their residents stranded in the violence-hit country

The Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) in Kathmandu on Wednesday evening resumed operations, paving the way for the return of Indian nationals stranded in strife-torn Nepal.

 

Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu said on Wednesday that Air India and IndiGo will operate additional flights to Kathmandu to bring back people stuck in the Nepal capital. The minister also said that airlines have been advised to keep their fares within reasonable levels.

 

“Due to airport closure in Nepal, many home-bound passengers were unable to return from Kathmandu… With the opening of the airport operation in Kathmandu, @MoCA_GoI, in coordination with Air India & IndiGo, has arranged additional flights this evening & over the next few days, alongside scheduled services resuming tomorrow,” Naidu said in a post on X.

 

Over the past 24 hours, several Indian state governments, including Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Karnataka, have urged the Centre and the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu to ensure the safety of the Indian nationals and arrange their evacuation. Many states have also launched special cells to assist their residents stranded in the violence-hit country.

 

The Andhra Pradesh government has put an Indigo aircraft on standby in Delhi to evacuate 217 natives of the state by Thursday afternoon, state government officials said.

 

They added that a curfew has been imposed in Kathmandu until 6 am, after which Indian nationals, escorted by Nepalese Army, can reach the airport.

 

The state government said that it has also arranged for helicopters, which will be pressed into service if a fresh round of violence breaks out to evacuate those who are stranded outside Kathmandu and are unable to travel to the Tribhuvan airport.

 

India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has also reached out to the Indian citizens stuck in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China as they were undertaking the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, organised by private tour operators, via Nepal.

 

A delegation of officials from Nepal’s agriculture ministry, which has been in New Delhi to discuss issues facing the neighbouring country’s farm sector with their Indian counterparts, would also be able to return to Nepal, sources said.

 

According to an Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) Facebook post, the delegation -- led by Secretary of Nepal’s Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development Govinda Prasad Sharma and Executive Director, Nepal Agricultural Research Council, Krisna Timsina -- was in the national capital along with associates. The members held meetings with ICAR scientists over the last two days.

 

The Tribhuvan airport had stopped air services on Tuesday and Wednesday following violent anti-government protests. In a notice on Wednesday evening, the airport management asked the passengers concerned to contact their respective airline companies for re-confirmation of their flights, the notice said.

 

The Nepal Army on Wednesday imposed nationwide restrictive orders followed by a curfew to quell possible violence under the guise of protest, a day after deadly anti-government demonstrations forced Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli’s resignation.

 

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan posted on social media that he has sought help from External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar for the evacuation of Indian nationals, and Delhi CM Rekha Gupta said her government is in constant touch with embassies of Nepal and India for the safe return of the city’s residents.

 

Earlier, several Indian carriers cancelled their flights to and from Kathmandu while the Delhi-Kathmandu international bus service operated by the Delhi Transport Corporation was also suspended. 

 

Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami on Tuesday evening asked officials to step up vigilance in areas bordering Nepal. Three districts of Uttarakhand -- Pithoragarh, Champawat and Udham Singh Nagar -- border Nepal. Dhami also asked them to monitor social media so that timely action can be taken on any kind of rumour, misleading information or provocative content.

 

Police in Uttar Pradesh are also on round-the-clock high alert in all districts bordering Nepal. Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel said his government has reached out to the Centre for the safe return of people from the state, including tourists and students.

 

With inputs from agencies