Indian Relief Work Draws Nepal’s Admiration

The quick and broad response of the Modi government in New Delhi to the April 25 earthquake that devastated Nepal, has drawn a great deal of admiration from Kathmandu. Nepal’s Ambassador-designate to India, Deep Kumar Upadhyay, said India took the initiative in relief operations, which other countries followed.

“We are thankful to the government of India that it was kind enough to extend a blank check after the shattering earthquake. It has done tremendous work to provide help.”

“There is no dearth of relief material. It is our responsibility now to take it to the interior areas in the mountains, which have been the worst hit. We will airlift and road lift the material to those places.”

“The Indian government has also accepted our request for special trains to border areas so that our people who want to return to their homes can go there. The service will be increased as per demand.”

“I know we are two [countries], but we are receiving support like we are one. There is no problem of coordination between us. The aid will have a positive impact on us. It’s a matter of human emotions.”

Indeed, New Delhi had responded very quickly, and within four hours a substantial airlift of relief material went into Nepal, bringing stranded people back on return flights using the Indian Air Force transport fleet of C-17s and C-130Js. It is likely that the relief work will continue for weeks before the rebuilding of Nepal can be estimated.

Nonetheless, Nepali Finance Minister Ram S. Mahat told the Business Reporter that the cost to rebuild Nepal would exceed $10 billion (R120.billion) and take years. His reconstruction estimate is equivalent to about half of Nepal’s $20 billion (R240 billion) economy. Although New Delhi has not issued any official statement on how much of that rebuilding cost India would bear, unofficial statements indicate that India is ready to take a lion’s share of that rebuilding cost.

In addition, China, which responded quickly enough and joined hands with India in the relief work, is also expected to pitch in in a big way. Nepal is part of President Xi Jinping’s $40 billion “Silk Road Economic Belt” network of highways, railways and other critical infrastructure linking China to Central and South Asia, the Mideast, and Europe.