Heavy rain forecasts add to Nepal’s woes

Still reeling from the massive April 25 earthquake and continuing aftershocks of sizeable magnitude and number (34 till now), the weather gods are looking to test the mettle of Nepal’s people further, endangering the ongoing rescue and relief effort.

The Indian met department has predicted “fairly widespread rain/thundershower activity over Nepal” to intensify by Monday (April 27).

It is feared that incessant rain is not only going to hamper search and rescue efforts but may cause landslides as well, damaging road and communication connectivity further.

Heavy rain also has implications on aircraft visibility, a significant concern considering the fact that almost all relief supplies and rescue teams have to be moved via air. Choppers operating on local search and rescue missions may have to limit sorties as well.

Nepali Times editor Kunda Dixit, however, tweeted on an optimistic note: “Only consolation is that it may ease the water crisis in some of the shelters.”

With the death toll crossing 3,617 and the threat of an epidemic looming large, hundreds of teams from over a dozen countries are involved in the fight to alleviate the destruction wrought by the quake.

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