‘We had given up hope’: 102 Nagpur pilgrims return home after being stranded in Nepal

As many as 102 pilgrims from Nagpur who were stranded in Kathmandu following devastating flash floods in Nepal returned to Maharashtra safely on the morning of August 30, officials said.

The pilgrims had travelled to Nepal on August 19 to visit the Pashupatinath Temple and other pilgrimage sites. They remained in Kathmandu until August 27, a day after flash floods struck areas near the Nepal-Tibet border and caused widespread destruction.

Four other pilgrims from different parts of the Vidarbha region were also part of the group. While four pilgrims returned by flight on Saturday, the remaining 102 reached Nagpur Railway Station by train at around 4.30 am on Sunday.

The returnees described a frightening journey as heavy rain and flooding disrupted their plans and left them uncertain about when they would be able to return.

One of the travellers, Yogesh Gavande, said the group was staying around 50 km from the area where the worst destruction occurred but became stranded in Kathmandu.

“We were staying about 50 kilometres away from where the incident occurred. We got stuck in Kathmandu, but our Chief Minister, Devendra Fadnavis, helped us, rescued us from Nepal, and brought us back to India,” Gavande said.

He said buses were arranged to bring the pilgrims back, but one of them was swept away by floodwaters during the journey.

“Out of five, one bus got swept away in the water. We saw everything there. The weather was extremely bad and it was raining heavily,” he said.

Another elderly pilgrim said the group had lost hope of returning home after witnessing the scale of the flooding.

“Our situation was such that returning seemed impossible. It was so dangerous that we had given up hope of returning home to Nagpur and to our children,” she said.

She said the pilgrims witnessed floodwaters carrying people away but survived after reaching a safe location. The group later received assistance from the Maharashtra government to return to India.

Meanwhile, Nepal's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) issued a fresh warning on Sunday after authorities reported a sudden increase in the sound and flow of the Bhote Koshi River.

The alert covers downstream areas of Rasuwa, Nuwakot and Dhading, which were among the districts badly affected by the August 26 flash floods.

Residents along the Rasuwa riverbank, including areas near the Nepal-China border, have been advised to closely monitor water levels and remain vigilant. Emergency services and local administrative authorities in Nuwakot and Dhading have also been placed on standby.

The NDRRMA said the District Administration Office in Rasuwa had reported hearing an increase in the sound of floodwater in the Bhote Koshi River. Authorities urged people living near the river to exercise caution and said further updates would be issued as more information becomes available.