India & Natural Disaster Management

chaanakya · Post by **chaanakya** » 28 Apr 2015 21:57

China in Action

pankajs · Post by **pankajs** » 28 Apr 2015 21:59

Vikas Swarup ‏@MEAIndia 2h2 hours ago

In addition to the 170 foreign nationals that India assisted for evacuation by air, 251 foreign nationals have been evacuated by land.

arshyam · Post by **arshyam** » 28 Apr 2015 22:00

Gus wrote:noticed a chinese 'objection' to indian involvement..missed it and can't find it. anybody?

Saar, here you go:

chaanakya wrote:Annapurna Post
‏@Annapurna_Post

चीनको आग्रह : भारतलाई सहयोगमै सीमित राख https://shar.es/1pdaVA

Translation:
Request to China: Limit the Indian Cooperation.

An English link: http://www.telegraphnepal.com/headline/ ... activities

arshyam · Post by **arshyam** » 28 Apr 2015 22:03

chaanakya wrote:With Flights Delayed Indefinitely, U.S. Citizens Are Stranded In Nepal

Chaanakya-ji, great find. This is a very convenient stick to use to beat the rah-rah-USA crowd

. Interesting that there are no comments to this article.

Edit: x-posted to the positive news thread for the record.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 28 Apr 2015 22:09

some good pix by a AP photographer who tagged along. one photo shows they have rigged a extra fuel tank inside the Mi17 to supplement the two outside tanks. maybe it helps to lengthen the time between refuelings.

http://time.com/3836404/nepal-earthquak ... -pictures/

chaanakya · Post by **chaanakya** » 28 Apr 2015 22:32

Sachin wrote:
kmkraoind wrote:After seeing some images, they will take you into a deep thought and do whatever, they will never leave your active memory and today I saw one such image from Nepal. Its really heart wrenching and welled up my eyes.

Is there any way I can contribute to the rescue funds? I tried PMs relief fund, but the site says the fund is for utilising in India only. What could be any other agency who is now focusing purely for helping Nepal in this crisis? #SoulVultures & #SoulHarvestors to be excused. If nothing is there, would contribute to the PM's relief fund.

Use of PMNRF fund is purely at the discretion of PM. Generally it is restricted to Indian Nationals and calamities in India but then you know our PM. A part of fund is given to NDRF Disaster Relief Fund which carries out relief operations. During last year PMNRF has clocked four times more fund than during Lost Decade. It is twice as much as previous year.
Here is one image from BJP Communication Cell. I believe it is authentic. Anyway entire Indian operation will be funded by Indian Budget any help to PMNRF would be only blessings.
Narendra Modi follows
Communication Cell ‏@bjpsamvad 7h7 hours ago

Help people affected by #Earthquake in India & Nepal. Donate. #NepalQuakeRelief @PMOIndia @EONIndia @MEAIndi

chaanakya · Post by **chaanakya** » 28 Apr 2015 22:43

From PMNRF website

Financial Year Amount Collected
(Rs. in crore)
2004-2005 925.98 (This was due to Tsunami)
2005-2006 170.58
2006-2007 33.45
2007-2008 16.71
2008-2009 122.30 (Odisha Cyclone)
2009-2010 37.65
2010-2011 28.43
2011-2012 22.75
2012-2013 17.59
2013-2014 375.97 ( Kedarnath Flood)
2014-2015(upto 31-03-2015) 485.72 (Un-audited) (NaMo as PM assumes charge)

Indians have always stepped up during times of Natural calamity. Though much could be done. Now we have a PM who cares and who leads by example we should donate.

prahaar · Post by **prahaar** » 28 Apr 2015 22:44

arshyam wrote:
Gus wrote:noticed a chinese 'objection' to indian involvement..missed it and can't find it. anybody?
Saar, here you go:

chaanakya wrote:Annapurna Post
‏@Annapurna_Post

चीनको आग्रह : भारतलाई सहयोगमै सीमित राख https://shar.es/1pdaVA

Translation:
Request to China: Limit the Indian Cooperation.
An English link: http://www.telegraphnepal.com/headline/ ... activities

In the press conference Foreign Sec. was quite clear, that this news has no basis, since if Nepal has a problem with us they will contact us. The Defense Sec. was quite succinct, he said, he is in touch with Nepal admin, and all flights are in consultation/direction of Nepalese authorities.

There was a bright journalist who asked for tippani about Nepal refusing Taiwan's help, to which FS asked him why is he asking Indian FS and not Nepali FS.

The last question was a gem, some lady journalist asked that since rescue operations are winding up

. Many journalists land up in these pressers without any homework, many on BR have more up to date information.

chaanakya · Post by **chaanakya** » 28 Apr 2015 22:48

Narendra Modi follows
Oxomiya Jiyori ‏@SouleFacts 42m42 minutes ago

Indian army chopper lands in a remote village to ferry the injured. #NepalEarthquake Hundreds other villagers wait.

chaanakya · Post by **chaanakya** » 28 Apr 2015 22:51

PMO India and 1 other follow
Devendra Fadnavis ‏@Dev_Fadnavis 50m50 minutes ago

Also, 107 persons from Washim have reached India safely. No casualty reported from Maharashtra.
#OperationMaitri
#NepalEarthquake

chaanakya · Post by **chaanakya** » 28 Apr 2015 23:11

Vikas Swarup @MEAIndia · 30m 30 minutes ago

Evacuees return by road from Nepal. Coordination between MEA, SSB, District Admn & Customs in No Mans Land.

Vikas Swarup @MEAIndia · 29m 29 minutes ago

Working around the clock. MEA officials at India-Nepal border making arrangements for first batch of evacuees.

chaanakya · Post by **chaanakya** » 28 Apr 2015 23:12

Sushma Swaraj retweeted
Embassy of India KTM @eoiktmnp · 8h 8 hours ago

By tomorrow 100 more buses to arrive in Kathmandu with over 6000 capacity @MEAIndia
31 retweets 16 favorites

Amber G. · Post by **Amber G.** » 28 Apr 2015 23:20

prahaar wrote:[

In the press conference Foreign Sec. was quite clear, ..

Also, there are a few reports, for example ... Want to work positively with India to help Nepal, says China
and similar reports..

BEIJING: Playing down reports of competition with India in quake relief efforts in Nepal, China today said it would like to work with India "positively" to help the Himalayan nation to tide over the crisis.

"China and India are neighbours to Nepal. We would like to work together and coordinate positively with India in our assistance efforts in Nepal to help it to overcome the difficulties and rebuild its homeland,"
..

He was responding a question on the reported remarks by Nepalese Foreign Minister Mahendra Bahadur Pandey that Nepal has divided areas between India and China for quake relief. ..

.

chaanakya · Post by **chaanakya** » 28 Apr 2015 23:23

PMO India retweeted
Vikas Swarup @MEAIndia · 4h 4 hours ago

In addition to the 170 foreign nationals that India assisted for evacuation by air, 251 foreign nationals have been evacuated by land.
View conversation
315 retweets 278 favorites
PMO India retweeted
Vikas Swarup @MEAIndia · 4h 4 hours ago

#IndiaWithNepal 741 Nepali nationals have been rescued by NDRF and military personnel.

Bade · Post by **Bade** » 28 Apr 2015 23:29

The Chinese search & rescue team lost steam following their flag march at the departure airport. That is the best image for psyops in other threads. They were sent on a punishment posting to Nepal and look not interested at all. I do not see any locals in that image. How would they know where to go to rescue trapped people.

chaanakya · Post by **chaanakya** » 28 Apr 2015 23:36

ISRO and 2 others follow
Ministry of Railways ‏@RailMinIndia 10h10 hours ago

#IndiaWithNepal Till date NorthEastern Railway has helped 498 persons returning in the aftermath of the earthquake reach their homes.
33 retweets 49 favorites

Amber G. · Post by **Amber G.** » 28 Apr 2015 23:38

^^Chaanakya - Thanks for all the informative items..
Meanwhile .. even CNN has headlines..
Nepal earthquake: India leads massive aid effort to help survivors

And few other headlines.. (sorry if posted already)
'India Has Demonstrated Its Global Leadership', Says US, as India Helps Quake-Hit Nepal

..."India has demonstrated its global leadership in recent weeks, first in Yemen and now in Nepal. We are grateful; we are impressed; we are inspired...

.."And because our cooperation is expanding, India is using C-17s and C-130s on the front lines of its response, (!) "

And Time magazine has nice pictures...See India’s Rescue Operations in Quake-Devastated Nepal...India has sent humanitarian relief to the remote villages most affected by Nepal's deadly earthquake

Amber G. · Post by **Amber G.** » 28 Apr 2015 23:49

Interesting that Nepal's PM first knew about the earth quake from NaMo's tweet..<impressive>
Nepal PM came to know about earthquake from Narendra Modi's tweets

As soon as he landed at the Bangkok airport, Koirala saw Modi's tweets on the quake, Nepal's Minister for Foreign Affairs Mahendra Bahadur Pandey said on Tuesday.

"Then we started seeking details," he said.

"We called Nepal and got updates regularly. I was also informed about the quake after going through Modi's Twitter account," he said.

Pandey thanked Modi for all help from India.

"We really appreciate what Modi is doing for us. The kindness and affection he is showing to us is amazing," he said.

"We will not forget what Modi-ji is doing for us," he said. "We do not have any words to thank the Indian PM."

The Indian prime minister had also called Koirala in Thailand, offered his condolences over the loss of lives in the earthquake and offered all help to overcome the crisis.

Koirala reached Kathmandu on Sunday from Thailand.

India was the first country to send aid and relief materials in Nepal. Personnel of the Indian Army and other rescue teams are in the Himalayan nation at present busy in search, rescue and rehabilitation efforts.

chaanakya · Post by **chaanakya** » 29 Apr 2015 00:03

Thanks Amber G .

Rajnath ji also came to know abt it from NaMo. NaMo has asked NDRF to provide all help and proceed. He also called meeting at three PM.At 2 PM NDMA met with CabSec. By 6.30 plane has landed in KTM with advance team and relief supplies with another plane in the tow. . Its a monumental tragedy. Will take years to heal.

Amber G. · Post by **Amber G.** » 29 Apr 2015 00:29

Bade wrote:The Chinese search & rescue team lost steam following their flag march at the departure airport. That is the best image for psyops in other threads. They were sent on a punishment posting to Nepal and look not interested at all. I do not see any locals in that image. How would they know where to go to rescue trapped people.

Obvious answer is that they can learn/coordinate from/with Indian teams..

... But...per reports from Xinhua’s website there is "an energetic effort" ... sent dozens of medical and search-and-rescue personnel and four People’s Liberation Army aircraft...the first batch of 186 tons of emergency supplies arrived Tuesday....state media have broadcast a steady stream of footage and photos of Chinese rescue teams clearing rubble and locating survivors, met by cheering crowds....

Recently.. if you see the state media posted photos.. you will see Chinese medical personnel ministering to victims....loading relief supplies into a van.. also a photo of Chinese emergency personnel flanked by other fatigue-clads with a big red banner in the background reading “Chinese and Nepalis stand together.”

****

Meanwhile, per a WSJ article.. someone, called Mr Liu from Shanghai Institutes for International Studies, made more sense ..

From politics to culture to religion, Nepal’s relationship with India is incredibly close. China can never achieve that kind of relationship. China is very clear on that. So we know what we should focus on, and it’s mostly an economic relationship through which we can create a stable and peaceful relationship..Quake aid isn’t about any diplomatic machinations. It’s about having the responsibility of a major nation..

Shreeman · Post by **Shreeman** » 29 Apr 2015 01:36

1. Nepal news is now off the main media cycle. The narrative is established, funding appeals well met, and both leading and second grade media outlets sent the western leadership message. Now they can credit India as much as they like, nobody is paying any attention. Last weeks neuj.

2. The PMNRF has no restrictions re. Nepal. Nepal is not the "rest of the world" to India. Nepal and Bhutan both do and will always benefit from PMNRF type resources. This is the specific appeal from overseas BJP to THIS event:

http://www.ofbjp.org/heartfelt-appeal-h ... al-survive

A domestic appeal was posted before. Quoting a FAQ answer that never envisioned a Nepal tragedy is irrelevent.

And yet, if someone has actually contested this, or used one of my rants and been met with unfortunate results then all I can tell you is to go ask the horse for a horse's mouth answer. @PMOIndia is the twitter.

Shreeman · Post by **Shreeman** » 29 Apr 2015 02:54

https://nonprofitquarterly.org/policyso ... ching.html

•10 billion in aid to Haiti that still hasn’t led to permanent housing or decent water and sewage systems, leading to Haiti’s suffering the largest modern outbreak of cholera in history. Seven hundred thousand people affected—and nearly 9,000 deaths—from a disease that’s preventable through providing people with clean drinking water. The problem of polluted water supplies causing cholera continues even today.

•For every dollar of U.S. government aid to Haiti through USAID, only one cent went to Haitian organizations, Haitian companies, or even the Haitian government, as opposed to contracting with non-Haitian organizations, nonprofit and for-profit, for the delivery of aid.

•There were plans to build 15,000 houses at a cost of $53 million, but according to Gandhi’s sources, the cost ballooned to $93 million and the number of homes to be built shrunk to 2,600. At the same time, the U.S. embassy authorized $70 million to build townhouses with pools for U.S. embassy staff—with functional electric power and clean drinking water, which is unavailable for most everyone else in Haiti.

•On the darkly comic side are the model homes built for the Zoranje housing festival, supported by the Clinton Foundation among others, a $2.4 million “showroom” for international firms to build prototype houses in the expectation of winning contracts for mass production. The homes ranged from the impractical (for example, wood homes in a nation that has been largely deforested) to the nutty (you have to watch the show to see just how insane some of the models were), and not one house model was used to make homes for Haitians anywhere, other than the ones who moved into the demonstration models after the “expo”—Gandhi calls it “squatting in a permanent reminder of what our aid intended to give them.”

•In some cases, Haitians who “received little to no foreign aid actually appeared to be doing better than those in designated relief areas,” Gandhi found.

•The use of U.S.-based contractors, notably USAID’s largest contractor, Chemonics International, to build much of the useless stuff that isn’t helping Haitians in need.

Suraj · Post by **Suraj** » 29 Apr 2015 05:13

India's Response Was Like Extending a Blank Cheque: Nepal

Nepal today thanked India for extending a "blank cheque" and taking initiative in launching relief operations in the aftermath of Saturday's killer earthquake, which was followed suit by other countries.

Ambassador-designate of Nepal Deep Kumar Upadhyay also expressed concerns on "congestion on Kathmandu airport" that was hampering taking aid to the victims.

"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 cheque' after the shattering earthquake. It has done tremendous work to provide help," he told reporters here.

"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," he added.

Upadhyay said "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."

Expressing concern about the obstacles in the relief work going on in the Himalayan nation round the clock, he said one major issue was congestion at Kathmandu airport due to which flying down support materials and resuming passenger flights were getting affected.

"The Kathmandu airport has a parking capacity of just seven to eight planes. At present 30 helicopters are already stationed there, including 20 from India and a few from the US. So there is congestion and we are unable to welcome rescue teams and relief material," Upadhyay said.

And in this regard, the most important requirement was that the aircraft come, off load relief material and return immediately, he said.

"This will help resume normal commercial passenger flights. It will help reduce panic and boost the morale of the people as they will understand that the situation was returning to normal," he added.

Upadhyay said providing food and shelter was a priority and the focus will shift toward them as "hopefully all kind of primary rescue work will be over by today".

Upadhyay said Nepal will now move towards need based, targeted relief work, to ensure that aid material reach the affected districts, and do not just get wasted in Kathmandu.

"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," he said.

"Many friendly countries are also trying to help, but we are holding them back due to congestion on our airport," he added.

Upadhyay expressed confidence that electricity supply will be restored to an extent as Power Grid officials from India and Nepal are continuously working towards it.

"Restoration of power supply will also lead to restoration of communication and lift the spirits of the distressed people there," he added.

Bade · Post by **Bade** » 29 Apr 2015 05:49

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/worl ... 090271.cms

"Men from NDRF (National Disaster Response Force) have been working here non-stop, without a wink of sleep, for the past three days. I know none of my family members will come out alive. But at least they have ensured they will get a respectable funeral," says Guruwacharya.

Though Khwanju was rescued by local youth, relief material and medical help brought in by Indian armed forces has kept him going in the camp.
Srikrishna Kharel, 30, a cloth merchant from Hanuman Dhoka area which has seen massive damage to Nepal's architectural heritage, is doing his bit by helping people in a camp set up in the area. Like most caught in a tragedy, he is angry with his government.

"These people will do nothing for us. The first day there was no water, no food, no medicines. We have been surviving by helping each other. Indians were the first to come. Even before China. We haven't seen anyone from the US," he says.

Though the Nepal government is doing its best, having put almost 90% of its army in rescue operations, it is certainly not enough given the scale of the tragedy. India on Tuesday sent three more NDRF teams with the number of teams engaged in rescue work now going up to 16.

Tonnes of food, water, blankets and tents were unloaded from Indian aircraft at Tribhuvan International Airport even as aid poured in from across the world.

What has marked India apart from all other international teams is articulated by a survivor of a six-storey building near Shobha Bhagwati bridge trapping over 50 who are all feared dead, "Teams from China and Poland had come. But they stay here for a few hours looking to rescue the living and leave when they are convinced all are dead. Only Indian forces are pulling out the dead," says Amir Sakya.

Ties in with that picture posted earlier of napping Chinese personnel...

arshyam · Post by **arshyam** » 29 Apr 2015 05:58

Bade wrote:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/worl ... 090271.cms

"Teams from China and Poland had come. But they stay here for a few hours looking to rescue the living and leave when they are convinced all are dead. Only Indian forces are pulling out the dead," says Amir Sakya.

That's what is needed to be done now in order to prevent outbreaks of diseases. It's been 3 days and chances of survivors are decreasing, and the focus needs to shift on stabilizing the situation. Good to see our people doing exactly that.

Shreeman · Post by **Shreeman** » 29 Apr 2015 06:09

Shreeman · Post by **Shreeman** » 29 Apr 2015 06:11

According to CNN.

Shreeman · Post by **Shreeman** » 29 Apr 2015 06:12

Make of this whatever you will:

Shreeman · Post by **Shreeman** » 29 Apr 2015 06:21

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CDrA6zwUkAAKiZd.jpg
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CDr6ngVWEAAU9aA.jpg
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CDr6vWHWAAA9YDx.jpg
https://t.co/alUJKMob7z
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CDr24oWXIAMTIWk.jpg
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CDsQEU6W8AAOu2j.jpg
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CDmk1SoWAAE1ViF.jpg
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CDjRi-sUIAI_Mst.jpg
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CDtam1mWoAElDQh.jpg

Shreeman · Post by **Shreeman** » 29 Apr 2015 06:21

Bade · Post by **Bade** » 29 Apr 2015 06:38

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/indi ... 089606.cms

An Indian Army climbing expedition has turned into a rescue mission at the base camp of Mount Everest. After a massive earthquake jolted the Himalayan region and led to killer avalanches on Saturday, a 30-member team of soldiers which had gone to peak the highest summit in the world escaped by the skin of their teeth. They then started working to save lives on the harsh terrain and will be the last to leave.
"We have treated about 80 injured including foreign climbers and sherpas. Around 10 of them had suffered head injuries," says Ritesh Goel, 28, the only doctor in the team. The severely injured were evacuated on Sunday morning. Around 15 bodies were also recovered and three people are known to have succumbed to their injuries on their way down from base camp, which is at a height of 17,700 feet. One Indian soldier who suffered a minor injury has also been pulled out, according to army spokesperson Col Rohan Anand.

Goyal had been a part of a 20-member paratroopers rescue unit during the Kedarnath flash floods in June 2013. "I move with my clinic. Fortunately when the avalanche struck base camp, the only tent it left unharmed was the one with medical supplies," he says. The team was scheduled to scale the peak mid May so they also have enough ration supplies for everyone for a few more weeks. While some soldiers are busy reconstructing the ravaged base camp, others are attending the hurt. There were around 1,000 people in Everest camps when disaster struck. Goyal says nearly 80-90% have been evacuated. "Around 100 are still here and should be moved out within 2-3 days," says the doctor. "We'll be the last people to leave the site, after every other climber and sherpa has been evacuated."

Shreeman · Post by **Shreeman** » 29 Apr 2015 06:53

Israel News Flash ‏@ILNewsFlash 9h9 hours ago

The IDF field hospital established in Kathmandu is the biggest ever built by the Israeli military. (Channel 2)

Shreeman · Post by **Shreeman** » 29 Apr 2015 06:55

pokhara:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CDl_Fp3UsAAHaSq.jpg
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CDptrjoWIAMG5Jl.jpg
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CDraggeUIAAfQ2F.jpg

Shreeman · Post by **Shreeman** » 29 Apr 2015 07:02

No comment: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CDubhuGUUAA0PfA.jpg

Shreeman · Post by **Shreeman** » 29 Apr 2015 07:06

No helipad, just a patch in the hills. Ind army @adgpi helicopter lands with aid & to take injured in Nepal.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 29 Apr 2015 07:55

so those 90t of kit landed by the 2 x El Al 747 must have contained this field hospital in SKD form and initial batches of meds and consumables. Nice.

Shreeman · Post by **Shreeman** » 29 Apr 2015 09:07

Whataboutitism?

http://www.theage.com.au/world/nepal-ea ... mv1qt.html

Mr Lama said Saturday's 7.8-magnitude earthquake, which claimed at least 3600 lives and triggered a deadly avalanche on Mount Everest, had devastated the capital city and forced many displaced locals onto the streets.

"Everything is cramped up," he said. "People are sitting in the middle of the road to get away. What will it cost for people to sleep a night or two on a lawn? If they just let people sit on the green grass ... nobody's going to sleep on the beds in the Hyatt."

Mr Lama said he was eventually allowed into the grounds to meet his friend but that other locals were turned away by guards. "I saw other people wanting to go in there but the guards weren't letting them enter. That broke my heart," he said.
Twitter post from @JigmeUgen: "#SHAME: Open spaces in #Nepal limited & cramped but #HyattRegency still exclusive for rich & westerners".

Twitter post from @JigmeUgen: "#SHAME: Open spaces in #Nepal limited & cramped but #HyattRegency still exclusive for rich & westerners". Photo: Supplied

In a post on Facebook that has been shared more than 4000 times, Mr Lama called for a boycott of the Hyatt Regency, accusing the hotel of allowing only a "few rich people and some westerners in" and ignoring the plight of locals.

chaanakya · Post by **chaanakya** » 29 Apr 2015 10:44

India’s rescue teams at home in Nepal while Chinese struggle with language

As Indian and Chinese rescue teams work alongside in Gongabu — a neighbourhood in Kathmandu battered by the April 25 quake — comparisons are being drawn between the two Asian powerhouses, even as officials on both sides brushed aside talk of a proxy aid war.

Nepal is sandwiched between India and China and the two have used aid and investment to court Kathmandu for years.

Beijing dispatched a 69-member rescue team to Nepal on Sunday, a day after India’s National Disaster Response (NDRF) launched its operations. ( It was a 62 member team)

Nepal army chief General Gaurav SJB Rana told HT in an exclusive interview that the Chinese were doing a good job but the Indians blended in more easily.

China’s rescue workers seem to have trouble connecting with the locals but that can be attributed to the language and cultural barrier.

Locals seem to be more at ease with the Indian teams. Kamal Bhandari, a guest house owner, said five of his family — including two children aged seven and nine — were buried in a building assigned to the Chinese rescue team. “They seemed to be more interested in videography and smoking cigarettes,” he said.

A senior Indian official said, “I wouldn’t criticise them for their work but they are seen as a bit aloof. Language is another barrier”. An NDRF official said a Chinese rescue team visited Hotel Tanhu Byas — one of the buildings in which Indians are working — along with some journalists to shoot a video of themselves but were politely asked to leave.

Nepal police constable DB Lepcha said the Chinese would turn down requests made by him and his colleagues to visit the location under them. “We are more comfortable with the Indians,” said S Giri, another policeman, deployed in Gongabu.

The NDRF is at an advantage compared to the Chinese rescue force as it has had more international exposure. It was deployed to Japan after the devastating tsunami in 2011.

There’s a growing sense among the Nepalese people that foreign governments are steering the rescue and relief effort while their own government has been rendered a spectator.

China, however, rejected suggestions of a proxy aid war in Nepal. A foreign ministry spokesman said it was willing to “pro-actively coordinate with India on aid”.

Zhang Chunxiang, a former Chinese ambassador to Pakistan who was envoy during the 2005 Pakistan quake, also said there was “no competition”.

However, despite the apparent bonhomie, Nepalese authorities have told Indian officials they do not require more NDRF teams — three are on standby in Delhi.

The Nepalese Army has also asked the NDRF to move its nerve centre to another location within the Kali Prasad combat engineering battalion

Shreeman · Post by **Shreeman** » 29 Apr 2015 10:51

As far as the chinese go, dont worry about them, they are doing fine. Already met their goals.

chaanakya · Post by **chaanakya** » 29 Apr 2015 11:06

Sitanshu Kar @SpokespersonMoD · 4h 4 hours ago

#NepalEarthquake Synergy in Action: Stretchers r ready to rush casualties to MH near KTM, evacuated frm remote areas.

Sitanshu Kar @SpokespersonMoD · 2h 2 hours ago

#NepalEarthquake First Pic of casualty evacuation from Pokhara by IAF and Nepal Army.