India, Uzbekistan upgrade ties as Nepal flood toll climbs

India and Uzbekistan elevated ties in Tashkent and set a USD 5 billion trade goal for 2030. The diplomatic push came as Nepal and Tibet battled worsening flood losses and Bhagwat underlined unity in diversity abroad.

In Short

• India and Uzbekistan aim for USD 5 billion trade by 2030
• Modi dedicated Uzbekistan's top civilian honour to the enduring bilateral bond
• Bhagwat said unity in diversity should be celebrated, respected and accepted

India and Uzbekistan on Sunday decided to upgrade their relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership and set a target of USD 5 billion in annual trade by 2030 after talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev in Tashkent. Modi was also conferred with Uzbekistan's highest honour for foreign leaders, the Oliy Darajali Do'stlik Order.

At the same time, the flood crisis in Nepal and near the Tibet border worsened, with Nepal's death toll from the August 26 flash floods rising to 734 and nearly 2,500 people still missing. Authorities also warned of rising water levels in the Bhotekoshi River, while China said 546 people, including 49 Indians, remained missing in Tibet near the Nepal border. In another development, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said in New York that unity in diversity is in Bharat's DNA and must be "celebrated, respected and accepted".

Modi and Mirziyoyev held talks in Tashkent following which India and Uzbekistan agreed to elevate ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership. The two sides also set a goal of taking annual bilateral trade to USD 5 billion by 2030.

Later in the day, Modi was conferred with the Oliy Darajali Do'stlik Order, Uzbekistan's highest honour for foreign leaders. He dedicated the award to the "enduring" bond between India and Uzbekistan.

Speaking in New York, Bhagwat said unity in diversity is in Bharat's DNA. He said this has to be "celebrated, respected and accepted".

In Nepal, authorities said the water level in the Bhotekoshi River rose again on Sunday, days after the devastating flash flood, and asked residents and rescue personnel in affected districts to remain alert. The death toll from the August 26 floods rose to 734, while nearly 2,500 people remained missing.

Rescue efforts also intensified at hydropower sites in Nepal. As many as 537 workers and employees remained unaccounted for at nine hydropower projects in Rasuwa and Nuwakot districts, with teams trying to reach people believed to be trapped inside tunnels blocked by mud and debris.

India has provided 68.5 tonnes of relief material to flood-hit Nepal and sent technical teams, forensic experts and equipment to support search and rescue operations, the Indian embassy said. It has also extended assistance with a Bailey bridge and tunnel expertise. The United States has separately provided more than USD 3.6 million in humanitarian assistance, including emergency food support for up to 10,000 households, the US Embassy in Kathmandu said.

On the ground, families in badly hit areas continued to return to what was left of their homes. In Galchhi, Nayan Tiwari said, "Everything was here before, but now there is nothing left," as people tried to recover belongings and restore spaces that had once been part of everyday life.

Hospitals in Kathmandu became places of grief and desperate searches, with some families left with "nothing left but hope". Outside Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, a woman searching for her missing relatives asked journalists filming the scene, "Will your cameras bring our people back?"

Among the survivors, five-year-old Ishara Tamang was lying in a hospital bed in Kathmandu, injured and separated from her family, after surviving the flash floods that hit Rasuwa district on the Nepal-Tibet border.

Across the border in Tibet, Chinese officials said the death toll from flash floods had risen to 16. They said 546 people, including 49 Indians, were still missing. Officials also said 261 foreign nationals, including 49 Indians, remained unaccounted for after the flood struck Gyirong Port, one of the main crossings between Nepal and Tibet, on August 26.

In Kathmandu, members of the LGBTQ+ community held a candlelight vigil to honour the victims of the flash floods and pray for those who are still missing.

Sunday's developments saw India and Uzbekistan deepen ties and set a new trade goal, Modi receive a top Uzbek honour, Bhagwat stress the importance of diversity in New York, and the flood emergency in Nepal and along the Tibet border continue with fresh warnings, large rescue operations and aid from India and the US.

With PTI Inputs

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