Sadhguru urges five-nation Himalayan Board after Nepal flash flood

Sadhguru called in Kathmandu for a five-nation Himalayan Board after Nepal's deadly flash floods. He said the fragile mountain region needs urgent cross-border cooperation beyond politics.Stock photo used for illustrationIndian spiritual leader Sadhguru Jagadish Vasudev on Sunday called for a five-nation Himalayan Board comprising India, China, Pakistan, Nepal and Bhutan, saying greater cooperation was needed to deal with disasters in the fragile mountain region. Addressing an event titled 'In Solidarity With Nepal' in Kathmandu, he also pledged Rs 1 crore to Nepal's Prime Minister Disaster Relief Fund, according to an official statement from the Isha Foundation.His remarks came as a massive flash flood near the China-Nepal border left hundreds dead and thousands missing. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority said the death toll had risen to 903, while 77 pilgrims from the Isha Foundation and three volunteers stationed on the Nepal side were reportedly unaccounted for.The 77-member group, led by the Isha Foundation, has remained out of contact after the flood. The organisation, founded by Sadhguru, runs multiple Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimages each season, with groups travelling from Kathmandu through Nepal to Tibet and trekking on foot as part of the journey.Calling on countries to look beyond political boundaries in dealing with a mountain system shared by all, Sadhguru said, "The mountains don't know your political affiliation. The mountains don't know what nonsense or language you speak." He said, "Himalayas are the most fantastic and majestic feature on the planet. At the same time, they are very fragile." Stressing the need for urgent action, he added, "A body comprising all these nations where the Himalayan ranges run has to happen now." He said the scale of the disaster was beyond what could reasonably have been anticipated and that Nepal should not be left to deal with its aftermath alone. "Nobody expected something like this to happen... But now that it's happened, we must look at this because this is not something a small nation like Nepal can solve by themselves," he said.The Kathmandu event brought together people in support of those affected by the disaster. Along with immediate relief and Sadhguru's donation to the Prime Minister Disaster Relief Fund, the call from the gathering was for closer regional cooperation as Nepal continued to deal with the impact of the flash floods and the search for the missing. With PTI Inputs- EndsPublished By: India Today Web Desk Published On: Aug 31, 2026 11:06 IST