New Delhi, Aug 26: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday, spoke to his Nepalese counterpart Balendra Shah and conveyed condolences over the loss of lives in the floods that swept through parts of the neighbouring country, assuring him that India was ready to provide all possible humanitarian assistance. Modi also said India stood in solidarity with the people of Nepal at the difficult time. “I spoke with Prime Minister Balendra Shah and expressed condolences for those who lost their lives due to the floods that have struck Nepal. In this difficult time, the people of India stand in solidarity with their sisters and brothers in Nepal,” The Prime Minister said in a social media post. He assured Shah that India is prepared to provide all possible humanitarian assistance and said Indian teams are closely coordinating rescue and relief efforts. The response comes as India stepped up its relief efforts and strengthened vigilance along its 1,751-km international border with Nepal following massive flash floods in the neighbouring country. The Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) has alerted all its formations along the India-Nepal border, officials said. Eighteen teams of the force, including seven kept on standby, have been deployed for relief and rescue operations in border areas. The alert comes amid forecasts of increased flows in the Koshi and Narayani river basins and the possibility of flash floods in smaller rivers across Nepal, officials said. The SSB is also monitoring vulnerable districts along the Ghaghara-Karnali and Mahakali river systems in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, they said. India is sending relief material to Nepal on Indian Air Force aircraft under the government’s Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) initiative. The consignment includes emergency supplies such as medicines and rations, officials said. The government is also planning to deploy National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel to assist with rescue and relief operations in the affected areas of Nepal. The measures follow a sudden and massive flood that swept through two Nepalese districts bordering Tibet on Wednesday morning, killing four people and leaving around 400 others missing, officials said. The flooding caused extensive devastation in settlements along the river and damaged around a dozen hydropower projects. At least 105 Indians and 37 non-resident Indians (NRIs) are among those missing in Rasuwa district, officials said. The flood surged through the Bhote Koshi River at around 9 am local time, with the waters reportedly coming from the Tibet side. Rasuwa and Dhading districts, both bordering Tibet, and Nuwakot district, southwest of Kathmandu, were affected, officials said. The scale of the disaster has prompted heightened concern on both sides of the border, with Indian agencies closely monitoring river flows and vulnerable areas while preparing for further assistance to Nepal. PTI