Ranchi: Just two days before devastating flash floods ravaged parts of Nepal, Ramprasad Ghosh sat on a video call with his family in Ranchi, discussing something far removed from tragedy and disaster: plans for Durga Puja and other mundane talks.Today, the 41-year-old Ranchi resident is missing, and his family is clinging to hope as rescue teams comb flood-ravaged areas of Nepal in search of survivors.A resident of Hyder Ali Road-12 in Ranchi’s Kokar area, Ramprasad was working as an administrator at a hydropower project in Nepal’s Trishuli region. His last contact with the family was through a video call on Tuesday. He is not married.“None of us imagined that within days we would be desperately trying to trace him,” his sister-in-law, Ditya Ghosh, told TOI on Thursday. “We are praying that the state and central govts help locate him. We don’t know where he is or whether he is safe.”The family’s anxiety turned into panic on Wednesday as television channels began airing visuals of flash floods sweeping through parts of Nepal. While Ramprasad’s 75-year-old father, Ranjit Kumar Ghosh, had been following the news since morning, it was only later in the day that the family realised the scale of the crisis.“When images of a hydropower project being inundated appeared on TV, I immediately recognised the place in Trishuli where he was posted,” Ditya said. “We started calling him right away, but his phone was unreachable. Around 200 Indians were working with him at that site.”The uncertainty has left the family distraught. Ranjit said he has not been able to sleep since losing contact with his son.“I just want to hear his voice once and know that he is safe,” he said.According to Ditya, Ramprasad had joined the project around six months ago. He had returned to Ranchi for a 10-day break two months ago before heading back to Nepal in July.Meanwhile, the Jharkhand govt has reached out to the Indian Embassy in Nepal and the Ministry of External Affairs seeking information about any residents of the state who may be stranded or missing in the flood-hit country.A senior official of the state migrant control room said letters had been sent seeking details of Jharkhand residents in Nepal. “Our control room is active, and families seeking assistance can contact us on 9431364271 or 9470132591,” the official said.
