A.P. govt. brings back safely 361 Telugu pilgrims from Nepal in week-long rescue mission

The week-long rescue mission in the conflict-hit Nepal by the Andhra Pradesh government concluded on Wednesday with the safe return of 86 more Telugu pilgrims from Manasarovar. Their flight from Kathmandu at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday marked a happy and safe return of 361 Telugu people stranded across the Himalayan country.

The batch of 86 people who were stranded at Manasarovar lake have joined their families across Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada, Tirupati, Kurnool, Anantapur, Nandyal, and other towns in the State.

Hundreds of Telugu people were stuck in different parts of Nepal in the aftermath of a political turmoil resulting in curfews, necessitating launch of an evacuation mission by the Andhra Pradesh government on September 9. Following the instructions of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, a 24x7 control room was established at the Andhra Pradesh Bhavan in New Delhi and Minister for HRD, IT and RTGS Nara Lokesh personally monitored the operation from the Real Time Governance Command Control Centre in Amaravati.

Lauding the successful conclusion of the operation, Minister Nara Lokesh said, “The safety of every Telugu person, wherever they are in the world, is our top priority. This mission in Nepal shows how swiftly and effectively Andhra Pradesh can respond in times of crisis and how we are always there for our people.”

A statement by the government said evacuations were carried out through multiple routes, including Nepalganj, Raxaul, and Bhairawa, and supported by two special flights - an Indigo service from Kathmandu to Delhi and a Nepal Airlines flight to Bhairawa.

Emergency e-visas

Despite curfew restrictions, internet shutdowns, and documentation hurdles at the Kathmandu airport, officials ensured safe passage for all evacuees. Nine Telugu-origin NRIs who lost their Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cards in the arson at Kathmandu, were also issued emergency e-visas within a day. Besides, the apt usage of technology and regular updates from the government reassured families waiting back home.

Soon after the news of trouble in Nepal broke out and the need to evacuate Telugu people stranded there arose, Mr. Lokesh skipped the Super Six event in Anantapur and coordinated the rescue efforts, ensuring helplines are functional 24x7 and by assigning tasks to officials and checking on evacuees every two hours via video calls. The team led by the Minister worked in close coordination with the Government of Andhra Pradesh, the Ministry of External Affairs, the Indian Embassy, the Nepal Army, and the Ministry of Civil Aviation.