KATHMANDU, Sept 8: A year after the Gen Z movement left hundreds of public buildings damaged or destroyed, reconstruction is progressing in some areas while many structures are still awaiting rebuilding.
Nearly half of the buildings damaged during the movement have either been reconstructed or are currently undergoing repairs and reconstruction. However, work on many of the remaining structures has yet to begin.
According to Rabindra Bohara, director general of the Department of Urban Development and Building Construction (DUDBC) under the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport, reconstruction has started on around half of the damaged buildings. Work on the remaining structures is expected to begin during the current fiscal year, he said, adding that several buildings have already been fully restored.
The impact of the movement remains visible around Singha Durbar, where reconstruction is underway at several government buildings.
Ganesh Karmacharya, acting chief of the Federal Secretariat Construction and Management Office, said the design for reconstructing the main Singha Durbar building has been completed and submitted to the Department of Archaeology for approval. Reconstruction of buildings on the northeastern and southern sides of the complex is already in progress.
The ministerial residences in Bhainsepati, Lalitpur, are also being rebuilt, while the process of reconstructing the old Supreme Court building has begun, Karmacharya said.
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The DUDBC has completed repairs and reconstruction of 105 buildings under its jurisdiction that sustained minor damage during the movement. According to DUDBC Deputy Director General Prakash Aryal, the work cost approximately Rs 130 million.
Reconstruction of another 50 damaged buildings is currently underway, with Rs 190 million allocated for the projects, Aryal said.
Billions in losses
The scale of destruction caused during the Gen Z movement was extensive. The estimated cost of reconstructing government buildings and structures damaged during the protests stands at Rs 36.3 billion.
The estimate was prepared by a government committee formed to assess the damage caused during the movement on September 8 and 9 last year and develop a reconstruction plan for affected public infrastructure.
According to the committee's report, damage was recorded across all seven provinces, affecting physical infrastructure and other property in 54 districts and 262 local levels.
Overall, government property worth Rs 84.45 billion was damaged. The federal government accounted for 68 percent of the losses, while provincial and local governments accounted for 10 percent and 22 percent, respectively.
The movement affected 2,168 government agencies and institutions and damaged 2,671 buildings. Damage to buildings alone was estimated at Rs 39.32 billion.
A total of 12,659 vehicles were also damaged, resulting in estimated losses of Rs 12.09 billion. The private sector suffered losses worth Rs 33.55 billion, while damage to community and other sectors was estimated at Rs 5.97 billion.
Red, yellow and green
To assess the condition of damaged buildings and determine the appropriate response, the DUDBC classified them into three categories using red, yellow and green stickers.
Buildings deemed unsafe for use were marked with red stickers and require full reconstruction. There are 134 such buildings, including 44 under the DUDBC's jurisdiction. The remainder fall under other government agencies.
Buildings that sustained minor damage were marked with green stickers. A total of 134 buildings fall into this category, including 125 under the DUDBC's jurisdiction.
Another 176 buildings sustained partial damage and were marked with yellow stickers. Engineers have recommended retrofitting these structures to restore their structural integrity.
A year after the movement, reconstruction presents a mixed picture: some damaged buildings have already been restored, others are taking shape again, while many are still waiting for rebuilding to begin.
