Nagpur: A group of 106 Nagpur residents, many of them senior citizens, stranded in Kathmandu amid difficult conditions following the flash floods in Nepal, began their journey home on Thursday evening after chief minister Devendra Fadnavis intervened.The travellers had reached Nepal on Aug 22. They left Kathmandu for their return journey on Aug 27 in four mini buses after their plan involving larger buses was shelved due to prevailing road conditions. The arrangement was done with the help of Nepal MP Sandeep Rana after the chief minister made a phone call, said sources.The travellers are expected to reach Janakpur near the India-Nepal border on Friday morning, from where buses have been arranged for their onward journey to Danapur in Bihar. They have a Nagpur-bound train scheduled from Danapur on Aug 28.Ashutosh Chaudhary, a Manewada resident whose mother and aunt are part of the group, told TOI that the travellers were initially supposed to leave on Thursday morning, but Nepal authorities advised against travelling in large buses considering the situation on the route. “We then contacted the CMO. The chief minister himself spoke to Nepal MP Sandeep Rana, who assured all possible help,” Chaudhary said.Fadnavis also spoke to other stranded travellers from Maharashtra on video call and took stock of the situation before their onward journey was facilitated.Maharashtra govt simultaneously sought Centre’s intervention. A letter dated Aug 27 from the office of Maharashtra’s Resident Commissioner in New Delhi to additional secretary (North), ministry of external affairs, sought “urgent assistance” for 106 Indian nationals. The letter identified Nagpur resident Yogesh Gawande as being with the group in Kathmandu and sought safe passage from Kathmandu towards Danapur so they could reach the station in time for their train.Gawande, speaking from Nepal through a shared video, said the group was safe and arrangements were being made to ensure they could continue their journey. The travellers had remained together while efforts were under way to find a safe route out of Kathmandu.Businessman Rajesh Awachat of Ram Coolers, who was feared to be in the affected region, is not part of this group. His younger brother Rupesh Awachat told TOI that Rajesh was at Mansarovar when the family last spoke to him a couple of days ago. Rupesh said communication had been difficult because of network issues, but confirmed that his brother was safe and on his way back. The family expects him to reach Nagpur by month-end.
