Rolpa natural disasters claim 22 lives as lawmaker criticizes relief efforts

Nepali Communist Party lawmaker Barsaman Pun has alerted the House of Representatives to the deaths of 22 people in the Rolpa district due to floods, landslides, and lightning strikes over a two-week period. Specific incidents include 13 deaths in a landslide in Thawang Rural Municipality on August 12, followed by several more fatalities in Seram, Dhaireni, and Pachhawang in subsequent days.

Pun criticized the government's response, calling for strengthened disaster preparedness, more effective search and rescue operations, and the immediate delivery of relief materials. He also urged the reopening of the obstructed Sulichaur-Uwa-Thawang road and requested a geological study to identify long-term risks in landslide-prone areas.

Additionally, Pun accused the government of misusing helicopters intended for disaster relief for ministers' personal travel. He specifically questioned the use of aircraft for ministerial district visits and medical evacuations while rescue and rehabilitation efforts remain pending in disaster-hit regions such as Jajarkot, Rolpa, and Baglung.