India to Help Rebuild Nepal School After Principal’s Timely Evacuation Saves Over 1,600 Children

India has offered to support the reconstruction of Tribhuvan Trishuli Secondary School in Bidur, Nuwakot, after devastating flash floods swept away the institution shortly after its principal led an emergency evacuation that helped save the lives of more than 1,600 schoolchildren.

India’s Ambassador to Nepal, Naveen Srivastava, met school principal Rajendra Dawadi following the disaster and conveyed that India would support reconstruction of the school. In his official communication, the Ambassador praised Dawadi’s timely action, saying his intervention helped save more than 1,600 children before floodwaters overwhelmed the school.

The disaster struck the Trishuli region on August 26, 2026, when rapidly rising floodwaters threatened communities and infrastructure along the river valley. Dawadi acted on warnings of the approaching flood, alerted the school community and initiated an evacuation before the situation became catastrophic. The school building was subsequently swept away.

The incident has drawn attention not only because of the scale of the evacuation but also because of the school’s long association with India-Nepal development cooperation.

Tribhuvan Trishuli Secondary School was established in 1951 and was designed by K. I. Singh, an Indian engineer associated with the Trishuli Hydroelectric Project, according to the Embassy of India in Kathmandu. India later supported construction of a new school building through its development-assistance programme.

On August 2, 2022, representatives of the Embassy of India and local authorities jointly inaugurated the new school infrastructure built with a Government of India grant of NRs 25 million. The project was implemented under India-Nepal Development Cooperation in the education sector as a community development project.

At the time of its inauguration, the Embassy said the school had more than 1,343 students, around 60 per cent of whom were girls. The new facilities were intended to provide improved educational infrastructure for students in Bidur Municipality and reflected India’s longstanding support for grassroots development projects in Nepal.

The school formed part of India’s wider High Impact Community Development Project, or HICDP, framework, through which India has supported schools, health facilities, drinking-water systems, connectivity projects and other local infrastructure across Nepal.

The latest disaster has therefore destroyed infrastructure that had been upgraded only a few years earlier with Indian grant assistance. By committing support for reconstruction, India is effectively extending an existing development partnership rather than beginning involvement with the institution from scratch.

The immediate priority will be to restore educational facilities for students affected by the destruction while ensuring that any replacement infrastructure takes account of the risks exposed by the flash flood. The precise location, design, cost and timeline of the proposed reconstruction have not yet been announced.

The episode also highlights the importance of disaster preparedness in Himalayan communities vulnerable to sudden floods, landslides and extreme weather. In this case, rapid decision-making at the school level prevented what could have become a major human tragedy.

For India and Nepal, the reconstruction effort will add another chapter to a school relationship stretching back more than seven decades. From its establishment in the early 1950s and its links with Indian engineers to the India-funded building inaugurated in 2022, Tribhuvan Trishuli Secondary School has long reflected the close development ties between the two countries.

India’s decision to support its reconstruction after the 2026 flash flood now ensures that this partnership will continue as the local community works to restore a safe place of learning for its students.

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References:

1. Embassy of India, Kathmandu, Government of India
   Inauguration of New School Building of Tribhuvan Trishuli Secondary School, Nuwakot
   Published: 2 August 2022
   Government of India grant assistance: NRs 25 million
   https://www.indembkathmandu.gov.in/media-detail/81

• Tribhuvan Trishuli Secondary School is located in Bidur Municipality, Nuwakot district, Nepal.
• The school was established in 1951.
• Its original infrastructure was designed by an Indian engineer associated with the Trishuli Hydroelectric Project.
• India provided NRs 25 million in grant assistance for construction of the new school building.
• The project was implemented under India-Nepal Development Cooperation in the education sector.
• At the time of inauguration in 2022, the school had more than 1,343 students, around 60% of whom were girls.

2. Naveen Srivastava, Ambassador of India to Nepal
   Official communication on Tribhuvan Trishuli Secondary School following the August 2026 flash flood
   Embassy of India, Kathmandu
   https://x.com/navsri6619/status/2094728838337192233

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