How is the evacuation of stranded Telugu individuals from Nepal progressing?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Evacuation efforts for stranded Telugu individuals in Nepal are gaining momentum.
- A total of 217 citizens from Andhra Pradesh have been identified across Nepal.
- Collaboration between state and central authorities is crucial in these efforts.
- Special flights and road transport are being utilized for safe returns.
- Most stranded citizens are elderly, with a significant number being women.
Amaravati, Sep 11 (NationPress) The effort to evacuate stranded Telugu individuals from the violence-affected region of Nepal gained significant traction on Thursday. A special flight departing from Simikot successfully transported 12 individuals, while another group of 22 returned safely by road.
Nara Lokesh, the Minister for Real Time Governance overseeing these evacuation efforts, announced plans for an IndiGo flight from Kathmandu to New Delhi, aiming to airlift over 200 citizens. The minister shared on the platform 'X' that 133 individuals have already been escorted to the airport with convoy protection.
A charter flight is also set to depart from Pokhara to bring an additional group of 10 stranded Telugu individuals to Kathmandu for the IndiGo flight.
A group of 22 individuals, who traveled via a special bus from Hetauda, have safely crossed into Indian territory and are currently en route to Bihar, with plans to continue to Delhi.
The special flight carrying 12 people from Simikot to Nepalganj, located on the Indian border, took off at 9 a.m. TDP MP Sana Satish coordinated with local authorities for this evacuation operation. From Nepalganj, arrangements are in place to transport the group to Lucknow, from where they will take a flight to Hyderabad.
Officials report that 133 stranded individuals have reached Kathmandu Airport, with an additional 43 expected shortly.
An IndiGo charter flight organized by the Andhra Pradesh government is scheduled to depart from Delhi to Kathmandu to facilitate the return of stranded citizens.
The state government has been working closely with the Union Government, the Embassy of India in Kathmandu, and local authorities in Nepal to coordinate this evacuation.
As per an official statement, a thorough plan has been devised with contributions from the Indian government and local authorities in Nepal.
A total of 217 citizens from Andhra Pradesh have been located across Nepal. Among them, 173 are in Kathmandu, 22 in Hetauda, 10 in Pokhara, and 12 in Simikot near the Nepal–China border.
Out of the stranded individuals, 118 (55%) are women, while 98 (45%) are men. Nearly 70% of those affected are over 50 years old, with 31% aged above 60. The largest groups hail from Visakhapatnam (42), Vizianagaram (34), and Kurnool (22), with others spread across 22 districts.
Citizens currently in Kathmandu are accommodated in hotels ranging from 1 km to 4.5 km from the international airport.