Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: The government has estimated that Rs 723.31 billion will be required for reconstruction and rehabilitation in areas affected by the August 26 Bhotekoshi floods.
According to the Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment (RDNA) report prepared by a joint technical team comprising the National Planning Commission, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority and other agencies, Rs 473.5719 billion will be needed for the infrastructure sector alone. This accounts for 75% of the total disaster recovery needs.
The energy and road sectors suffered extensive damage in the floods. Thirteen hydropower projects with a combined capacity of 759 MW and five solar plants with a combined capacity of 24 MW were affected. The report estimates that Rs 390.62 billion alone will be needed to restore the energy and power grid systems.
Similarly, 69 kilometers of road sections were damaged. Thirty-three motorable bridges were washed away, while four others were partially damaged. Of the 64 suspension bridges in the flood-affected areas, 53 were damaged. The overall recovery of transport infrastructure in the affected areas is estimated to cost Rs 73.343 billion.
The floods also caused significant physical and economic damage to the social and productive sectors. A total of 7,570 private houses in Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading, Gorkha and Chitwan were damaged. In addition, 48 public buildings, 18 schools, seven health facilities and 30 cultural heritage sites were damaged. The report estimates that Rs 103.5499 billion will be required for this sector.
Similarly, Rs 50.77 billion is estimated to be needed to recover the productive sector, including trade, businesses, banks and agriculture. The disaster affected crops planted on 1,806 hectares, 17 bank branches and 4,800 business establishments.
Among the 15 local levels in the five affected districts, Bidur Municipality in Nuwakot alone reported damage to 3,026 houses.
According to the report, an estimated Rs 94.75 billion will be required for disaster risk reduction and river management works, while Rs 515.4 million will be needed for the management of mud and debris.
The report has divided the reconstruction 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 needed for long-term reconstruction.
