NDTV Ground Report: A Desperate Search For Missing Loved Ones In Flood-Hit Nepal - NDTV

**NDTV Ground Report: A Desperate Search For Missing Loved Ones In Flood‑Hit Nepal**

*Kathmandu, Nepal* – Torrential monsoon rains and flash floods have turned Nepal’s central hills into a disaster zone, leaving thousands homeless and dozens of families mourning missing relatives. As swollen rivers breached embankments, entire villages were swept away, and the country’s mortuary facilities are now operating beyond capacity. Health officials in Kathmandu report that makeshift morgues in the capital and provincial hubs are filling with bodies recovered from mud‑filled valleys, while many families cling to the hope of finding loved ones alive. “Every night we pray for a sign, for a shoe, a piece of clothing—anything that tells us they are still out there,” said Parkrit Shakya, a resident of the Hardi‑Khalung district whose mother is still missing.

In response to the overwhelming humanitarian need, the Nepalese government, aided by an Indian forensic team, has launched a large‑scale DNA identification program. Samples collected from survivors, relatives, and recovered bodies are being processed in a temporary laboratory established in the city of Pokhara, with the aim of providing closure to grieving families. Simultaneously, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) has deployed drones equipped with high‑resolution cameras to map inaccessible terrain, locate buried structures, and guide rescue crews through collapsed tunnels that block critical access routes. The combined use of DNA profiling and aerial surveillance is expected to accelerate the recovery of missing persons and streamline the identification of victims.

Relief efforts have also crossed borders, with India opening a dedicated Unified Payments Interface (UPI) channel to accept donations for Nepal’s flood response. According to Rediff, the platform has already processed several million rupees in contributions, which are being channeled to local NGOs and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). Meanwhile, families whose homes have vanished are holding symbolic funerals, as reported by India Today, to honor the absent and cope with the trauma of loss. The international community, including the United Kingdom’s *Guardian*, has highlighted the urgent need for sustained aid, emphasizing that the immediate focus must shift from rescue to rehabilitation and long‑term resilience building.