The government has decided to provide monthly relief of Rs 15,000 to families affected by the Bhotekoshi flood of August 26.
A Cabinet meeting held on Thursday decided to provide financial assistance to families whose private homes were damaged by the flood in Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading, Gorkha, and Chitwan. A total of 7,570 private houses were damaged in the five districts.
“It has been decided to provide Rs 15,000 per month to families of up to four members. If a family has more than four members, an additional Rs 2,000 will be provided,” a minister told Setopati while sharing the Cabinet’s decisions.
The flood damaged 48 public buildings, 18 schools, seven health facilities, and 30 cultural heritage sites. An estimated Rs 103.54 billion is required for reconstruction and recovery in the affected areas.
The government is also preparing to build temporary shelters for Bhotekoshi flood victims before Dashain.
Following the devastating flood in the Bhotekoshi River in Rasuwa, the government has estimated that Rs 723.31 billion will be required for overall reconstruction and recovery.
According to the Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment (RDNA) report prepared by a joint technical team comprising officials from the National Planning Commission, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, and other agencies, Rs 473.57 billion will be required just for the recovery of the infrastructure sector, which was the hardest hit by the flood. This accounts for 75 percent of the total disaster recovery needs.
The energy and road sectors suffered particularly extensive damage. Thirteen hydropower projects with a combined capacity of 759 MW and five solar plants with a total capacity of 24 MW were affected. The report estimates that Rs 390.62 billion will be required to restore the energy and power-grid systems alone.
Similarly, 69 kilometers of roads were damaged. Thirty-three motorable bridges were washed away, while four others suffered partial damage. Of the 64 suspension bridges in the flood-affected areas, 53 were damaged. The restoration of the overall transport infrastructure in the affected areas is estimated to cost Rs 73.34 billion.
The flood also caused significant physical and economic damage to the social and production sectors.
The report estimates that Rs 50.77 billion will be needed to restore the production sector, including trade, businesses, banks, and agriculture. The disaster affected 1,806 hectares of agricultural crops, 17 bank branches, and 4,800 commercial establishments.
Among the 15 local levels affected across the five districts, Bidur Municipality in Nuwakot alone reported damage to 3,026 houses.
The report estimates that Rs 94.75 billion will be required for disaster risk reduction and river management, while Rs 515.4 million will be needed to manage mud, debris, and rubble.
The report has divided the reconstruction and recovery process into two phases.
It estimates that Rs 8.73 billion will be required within the next six months for immediate relief and short-term reconstruction, while Rs 714.58 billion will be required for long-term reconstruction.
