Nepal cuts 12-yr wait to declare flood missing dead to 45 days

NEW DELHI: Nepal govt has reduced the waiting period for declaring people missing in disasters dead from 12 years to just 45 days, paving the way for families of 5,285 people, including at least 189 Indians who went missing in the Aug 26 floods, to obtain death certificates and pursue compensation, insurance and inheritance claims. President Ram Chandra Poudel issued the ordinance late Friday, a day before the 45-day period since the disaster was due to end.The ordinance, issued on the recommendation of PM Balendra Shah's cabinet, took effect immediately. For families of the 189 missing Indians, the process begins with proof that their relatives were present in the flood-affected areas on Aug 26. Travel tickets, hotel bookings, employment records and last-known communications can serve as supporting evidence. Embassy of India in Kathmandu will coordinate with Nepalese authorities to verify the details, while local registration offices will process applications using nationality documents, police reports and embassy certification, where required.Once Nepalese authorities issue the death certificates and complete the necessary consular formalities, families can use the documents in India to pursue inheritance, insurance and other legal claims. Indian diplomatic officials and state administrations facilitate the cross-border documentation process.However, the ordinance did not establish whether foreign nationals would qualify for compensation under Nepal's disaster relief provisions.Foreign-issued death certificates are legally recognised in India for settling bank accounts, insurance, and property inheritance, provided they are properly authenticated — typically through an attestation by the Indian Embassy.The Aug 26 floods killed at least 1,455 people in Nepal, with authorities recovering as many bodies. Of them, only 112 have been identified and handed over to their families.In India, a person missing for at least seven years can be presumed dead. Following the 2013 Kedarnath floods, India introduced a special procedure allowing death registration after official verification without waiting seven years.Check out the six step process:Establish presence at flood site: Gather travel tickets, hotel bookings, phone records or last communications proving missing person was in affected area Contact Indian Embassy: Report disappearance to embassy of India in Kathmandu for coordination with Nepalese authorities and disaster victim identification systemApply under 45-day rule: Seek recognition of missing person's death under Nepal's new disaster ordinanceRegister death: After clearance from disaster management authorities, complete death registration at designated local ward office in NepalObtain consular certification: Secure death certificate, police reports and required attestations from Indian diplomatic authorities.Pursue claims in India: Submit death certificate and consular documents for insurance, bank settlements and inheritance claimsYou use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.