29 August,2026 08:29 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Pic/PTI
A group of Maharashtra residents who were stranded in flood-affected parts of Nepal has safely returned to India and is now continuing its journey back to the state, the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said on Friday.
The residents had been caught in areas affected by severe flooding and were evacuated through coordinated efforts involving authorities in India and Nepal. After returning safely to India, the group interacted with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis through a video call and thanked the state government for its assistance in facilitating their return.
According to the CMO, the residents expressed relief after reaching India and acknowledged the efforts made by authorities to coordinate their evacuation and onward travel.
During the video interaction, the stranded residents thanked the Maharashtra government and the Chief Minister's Office for their response and coordination while they were in Nepal.
Speaking to the group, Fadnavis said their evacuation and return had been made possible through the efforts of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar. He said the Centre had ensured that assistance reached the affected residents and that arrangements were made for their movement back to India.
The CMO said the residents had safely crossed into India and were proceeding towards Maharashtra.
The latest update follows evacuation arrangements initiated earlier this week for a larger group of Maharashtra residents stranded in Nepal.
On August 27, Fadnavis spoke to residents from Maharashtra who were awaiting assistance and assured them that every possible effort would be made to ensure their safe return.
According to a post by the CMO, all 106 passengers from Nagpur had safely departed Kathmandu and were travelling towards Danapur in Bihar as part of the arrangements made for their return journey.
The group was required to travel through Nepal before crossing into India, with authorities arranging transport for different stages of the journey.
Following a phone call from Fadnavis, Nepal MP Sandeep Rana arranged four local mini-buses to transport the passengers from Kathmandu to Janakpur.
The passengers were expected to reach the Janakpur-Bihar border the following morning. From there, further transport arrangements were made to take them to Danapur.
Their onward journey by train was also arranged, allowing the passengers to continue towards Maharashtra after reaching India.
The evacuation involved coordination between the Maharashtra government, the Centre and authorities in Nepal, according to the CMO.
While the residents were initially stranded because of flooding and difficult travel conditions, authorities worked to arrange their movement from Kathmandu towards the India-Nepal border and then onwards through Bihar.
The CMO said the residents who had safely returned to India were now making their way back to Maharashtra.
The evacuation was carried out amid difficult conditions in flood-affected areas of Nepal, where disrupted transport routes had left the Maharashtra residents unable to continue their planned journey.
The state government had remained in contact with the affected residents after receiving information that they were stranded. The evacuation arrangements were subsequently coordinated with the authorities concerned to ensure their safe movement back to India.
(With inputs from IANS)
