An early warning system for disasters will be implemented as a “top priority” in Nepal, said Prime Minister Balendra Shah on Saturday (September 19, 2026).

The Bhotekoshi flash floods, triggered by an ice-rock avalanche near the Nepal-Tibet border on August 26, devastated towns and villages in northern and central Nepal, killing over 1,400 people and leaving over 6,000 missing as of Friday (September 18, 2026).

Experts believe many lives would have been saved if they had proper warning.

Speaking at a Constitution Day programme at Tundikel Open Ground on Saturday (September 19, 2026), PM Shah said, “Special emphasis will be laid on risk reduction, preparedness, and response. The disaster early warning system will be implemented as a top priority.” PM Shah also expressed gratitude to all friendly nations, the international community and organisations, private sector, civil servants and the people of the country who assisted in disaster management, noting that the “loss and damage caused by the Bhotekoshi flood were unimaginable and irreparable for us”.

Speaking about the country’s economy, the Prime Minister said that the government would work to promote innovation and entrepreneurship and the creation of a knowledge-based economy by integrating artificial intelligence, digital technology and cyber security.

Citing the Digital Governance Action Plan, Mr. Shah said that the good governance demanded by the youth would also be ensured through technology. Stating that good governance, development, prosperity and social justice are the aspirations of citizens, he said, “The government’s each step is, and will remain, directed towards realising these very aspirations.”

The Prime Minister said that competitive multi-party democracy, human rights and the rule of law are the foundations of national life. “This Constitution has made one promise before the Nepali citizen that is building an equitable society based on unity amidst diversity, an end to all forms of discrimination, on development, prosperity and social justice,” he said.

“The federal government is committed to achieving the shared goal of national development based on cooperation, coexistence, and coordination among the federal, provincial, and local levels,” Mr. Shah said.

Eleven years ago, on Ashwin 3, 2072 (Bikram Sambat calendar), Nepal promulgated its new Constitution, which typically corresponds to mid-September on the Gregorian calendar.

More than ₹2.295 billion has been donated to Nepal Prime Minister’s Disaster Relief Fund since massive flash floods wreaked havoc in the Himalayan nation.

The death toll from Wednesday’s (August 29, 2026) flash floods has surged to 626 in Nepal. It devastated towns and villages, washing away homes, vehicles, roads and bridges, and damaging hydropower projects.

Nepal flash floods LIVE updates – August 29, 2026

While nearly 2,500 people have been evacuated, more than 2,400 still remain missing, with rescue teams continuing search and relief operations.

Following the flash floods, Nepal government declared the affected areas disaster zones, prompting various organisations and individuals to donate to the fund.

It received ₹1.91 billion within 36 hours from Wednesday afternoon (August 26, 2026) to Thursday midnight, while assistance worth ₹385.5 million was donated on Friday (August 28, 2026) alone, according to sources at the Prime Minister’s Office.

With the latest contributions, the fund’s balance has risen to ₹4.09 billion from ₹2.17 billion.

The government has designated the Ministry of Finance as the focal ministry for collecting contributions to the fund and coordinating assistance. The Ministry of Finance said the deposits were made to accounts held at 10 different commercial banks.

Finance Minister Swarnim Wagle has been personally accepting contributions of ₹10 million or more from institutional donors, according to the minister’s secretariat. It added that individual donors can provide cash contributions by visiting the Ministry in person.

Prime Minister Balendra Shah and members of his Cabinet will also donate a month’s salary to the disaster relief fund. The decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting on Friday (August 28, 2026).

Prime Minister Balendra Shah ‘Balen’ is set to hold separate bilateral meetings focussing on bilateral relations with the Indian and Chinese ambassadors to Nepal on Monday (August 10, 2026), the first such one-on-one diplomatic engagements after more than 100 days in office.

After meeting the Indian envoy first, followed by the Chinese counterpart, Mr. Shah will also meet with the U.S. Embassy Chargé d’Affaires on Tuesday (August 11, 2026).

In a departure from a long tradition of individual meetings, Mr. Shah, who was sworn-in on March 27 after a landslide win, held a joint courtesy meeting on April 8 with as many as 17 Kathmandu-based Ambassadors and Heads of Diplomatic Missions, including those from India and China, at Singhadurbar, the prime minister’s office.

On Sunday (August 9, 2026), Foreign Ministry sources said Mr. Shah will meet Indian Ambassador Naveen Srivastava on Monday morning (August 10, 2026) and Chinese Ambassador Zhang Maoming later that afternoon.

It will be followed by a meeting with the U.S. Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Scott Urbom on Tuesday (August 11, 2026) and other envoys.

“The Indian ambassador is told to come first, followed by the Chinese ambassador. So both ambassadors are meeting the prime minister on the same day, but the earlier and later timings also show the foreign policy priority of the government,” a senior Foreign Ministry official told The Kathmandu Post.

The Foreign Ministry has communicated the appointments to the respective embassies, the Post said quoting a prime ministerial adviser.

The agenda is expected to be largely introductory, with the ambassadors briefing Mr. Shah on the state of bilateral relations and conveying any messages from their respective governments, it said.

The meetings were delayed due to recent communal violence in Terai and Madhesh region.

The Prime Minister had earlier avoided one-on-one engagements and even declined to meet the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Samir Paul Kapur and President Donald Trump’s special envoy for South and Central Asia Sergio Gor.

Mr. Shah broke his self-imposed rule by holding a one-on-one meeting with Asian Development Bank President Masato Kanda, who visited Nepal for three days beginning July 6.

PM Shah had also not undertaken any visit to either the southern or the northern neighbour and instead Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal made back-to-back visits to New Delhi and Beijing in June.

Mr. Khanal had earlier said Nepal wants to build stronger and deeper relations with both India and China, describing the southern and northern neighbours as vital partners for the Himalayan nation and recently said Nepal wants to transform itself from a landlocked country into a “vibrant, dynamic bridge” connecting the two neighbours.

India has ‘formally’ invited Nepal’s new Prime Minister Balendra Shah to visit New Delhi, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Tuesday (July 28, 2026).

This official confirmation comes days after sections of the Nepali media reported that Mr. Shah’s advisor Kumar Ben visited New Delhi in early July and discussed the Nepali PM’s visit with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had congratulated the newly elected PM of Nepal on social media soon after Mr. Shah swept the polls in March. In his message, Mr. Modi had said, “Your appointment reflects the trust reposed in your leadership by the people of Nepal. I look forward to working closely with you to take India-Nepal friendship and cooperation to even greater heights for the mutual benefit of our two peoples.”

“We have invited Nepal Prime Minister Balendra Shah formally,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, in response to a question from The Hindu on Tuesday (July 28, 2026). Officials said that Mr. Modi’s remark was the beginning of the process and the formal invitation was subsequently sent to Mr. Shah through proper diplomatic channels.

Evolving relationship

Following the victory of Mr. Shah’s Rastriya Swatantra Party, there were reports that Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri was expected to visit Kathmandu in May but the visit did not take place as Mr. Shah had declined to engage with visiting high level foreign bureaucrats, insisting that he would meet his political counterparts in other countries.

The first high-profile visit was by Nepal’s Foreign Minister Sisir Khanal on June 6 and 7. Mr. Khanal had been scheduled to attend the Big Cat Alliance meeting planned to be held in Delhi on the sidelines of the India-Africa Forum Summit. After that meeting was postponed due to an Ebola virus outbreak in Africa, however, Mr. Khanal stayed for a bilateral visit. India also hosted Rabi Lamichhane, chairman of the ruling Rastriya Swatantra Party, in the first week of June.

Reports from Kathmandu had earlier suggested that Mr. Shah had taken a vow not to visit foreign destinations after coming to power, saying his focus would be limited to domestic priorities in the initial phase of his government’s tenure.

woAt the same time, however, he raised the Kalapani-Lipulekh-Limpiyadhura territorial dispute with India in a statement in the Nepali parliament, saying that Nepal is in talks with the United Kingdom regarding the historical documents necessary to research the dispute. He also sought talks with China on that issue.

A journalist, who was arrested on charges of using abusive language against Nepal Prime Minister Balendra Shah ‘Balen’ on his YouTube channel, was on Sunday (April 12, 2026) released following criticism and objection by Gen Z activists.

Roshan Pokharel, who ran the YouTube channel ‘Hades,’ was arrested on Thursday (April 9, 2026) in Panchthar district in eastern Nepal. He is from Falgunananda Rural Municipality in that district.