The Government of Nepal has introduced the Procedure for Verifying the Official Details of Persons Missing in the Rasuwa Bhotekoshi Flood, 2083, establishing a structured mechanism to identify and authenticate individuals who remain unaccounted for following the disaster. The procedure follows Decision No. 3 of the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Executive Committee, made on Ashoj 14, 2083 BS. It requires the verification of missing persons’ permanent addresses, identification records and supporting evidence before their details can be formally recommended to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA). The framework establishes separate verification arrangements for Nepali citizens and foreign nationals affected by the flood.

For missing Nepali citizens, applications must be submitted to the concerned ward office by a family member from the same household, along with identification documents, proof of relationship and a self-declaration confirming that the person remains missing. Where no immediate family member is available, the ward chairperson may verify the disappearance using information from the ward secretary, local police and other reliable sources. The ward committee must examine submitted applications and recommend verified cases to the Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Committee, which will conduct further verification before forwarding the details to the district administration. The district administration must submit the verified list, together with the District Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Committee’s decision, to the NDRRMA within five days.

The procedure also establishes a separate mechanism for foreign nationals who went missing or remain out of contact during the flood. Information collected by the concerned authorities must be forwarded through the Ministry of Home Affairs to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for verification. The Foreign Ministry will coordinate with the relevant embassies and diplomatic missions to authenticate the information and establish a final list of missing foreign nationals. The verified details will subsequently be returned to the Home Ministry and forwarded to the disaster management authority. For cases requiring an official death declaration, the authority must submit the verified information, together with the Executive Committee’s decision, to the Ministry of Home Affairs for further action.

To ensure transparency, the procedure requires local authorities to publish verified missing-person details and provide a three-day period for claims or objections. If objections are received, the concerned local authority must investigate and finalize the details within three days before forwarding the information to the ward office and district administration. The procedure also includes prescribed application and self-declaration forms requiring identification details, family relationships and supporting documents. Through these measures, the government aims to establish reliable official records of missing flood victims, prevent inaccurate identification and support subsequent administrative and legal processes concerning disaster-affected families.