Mumbai: As families across Maharashtra continue to await information about relatives missing in the Nepal flash floods, the Maharashtra Mountaineers Rescue Coordination Centre (MMRCC) has begun a statewide exercise to help identify the missing and coordinate the return of mortal remains.The MMRCC, functioning under the Akhil Maharashtra Giryarohan Mahasangh (AMGM), said the Maharashtra government had requested it to assist families whose relatives remain untraced. Its district-level network is reaching out to affected families, collecting details and coordinating the information with the state government.The immediate priority is to ensure that families do not miss the official identification process being carried out by the Nepal government and the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu, particularly in cases where visual identification is not possible.Families with missing first-degree relatives have been asked to take two steps:Check Nepal Police portal: Families should check the Nepal Police’s online disaster portal for photographs and details of recovered deceased persons.Fill MMRCC form: Whether or not the missing person is found on the portal, families have been asked to submit details through the MMRCC’s official form.The form seeks details of the missing person, including name and Aadhaar/passport details, as well as the name, relationship and contact details of the family member submitting the information.If a missing person is identified from photographs or other available information, families are still requested to complete the form so that MMRCC and the Maharashtra government can maintain the information required for further coordination, including the transfer of remains.Where identification cannot be established through photographs or other information, DNA matching with first-degree relatives may be required. MMRCC said it would help coordinate collection of relevant information in Maharashtra and facilitate its onward coordination through the state government with the official process in Nepal.The organisation said its experience of working in Nepal’s mountainous regions and its network across Maharashtra would help bridge the gap between families in the state and the identification process in Kathmandu.The MMRCC said the information submitted would be kept confidential and used only for identification of missing persons and the process of transferring remains, in coordination with Maharashtra government.Families requiring assistance in filling the form or seeking information about the process can contact Manoj Kulkarni (9325011719) or Akhil Katkar (9881099793).The key message is not to wait for a relative’s name to appear online before registering details with the MMRCC. The organisation has specifically asked families to submit the form even if the Nepal Police portal does not show an identification.
