Prime Minister Narendra Modi's trip to Bhutan has been postponed due to the ongoing inclement weather conditions over Paro airport, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Wednesday.
"Due to ongoing inclement weather conditions over Paro airport, it has been mutually decided to postpone the State visit of Prime Minister to Bhutan on 21-22 March 2024. New dates are being worked out by the two sides through diplomatic channels," the MEA statement said.
Prime Minister Modi was scheduled to embark on a two-day visit to Bhutan from Thursday (March 21). The visit was announced days after Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay visited India and extended an invitation to PM Modi to visit Bhutan.
During the visit, PM Modi was scheduled to meet Bhutanese King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Fourth King of Bhutan Jigme Singye Wangchuck. The prime minister was also supposed to hold talks with the Prime Minister of Bhutan Tshering Tobgay.
Parts of eastern India have been experiencing widespread rainfall on Wednesday and the India Meteorological Department has issued an 'Orange' alert for Bihar, Jharkhand, north West Bengal and Odisha.
Meanwhile, the weather office also forecast rainfall across parts of north West Bengal and the northeastern region over the next two days.
There was an east-west trough from northeast Madhya Pradesh to Assam in lower level and a very strong north-south trough in higher level, a senior weather department official told PTI.
He said a large mass of cloud had formed ahead of the north-south trough which brought a few spells of rainfall in eastern India. Cloud is still over eastern India as its movement from West to east is very slow. Hence, overcast throughout the day, he said.