The Bhotekoshi Flash Flood of August 26 did not end when the water level receded

From Onlinekhabar English

The Bhotekoshi Flash Flood of August 26 did not end when the water level receded. It has entered another phase that is slower, less visible and perhaps more consequential. The causes are being debated, damage is being assessed, and government agencies and other institutions are beginning to define recovery priorities. According to the government’s latest rapid damage and needs assessment, 7,570 private houses were damaged and around 32,933 people were affected. About 55 kilometres of roads, 37 motorable bridges and 68 suspension bridges were damaged. The flash flood also affected 1,806 hectares of agricultural land and caused major losses to hydropower and transmission infrastructure. The estimated recovery requirement is around Rs 723.31 billion, with infrastructure accounting for the largest share. These figures are necessary. Roads need to be restored, electricity generation has to resume, and damaged public services must function again. Yet converting a disaster into numbers, sectors, costs and projects is not simply a technical exercise. It gives institutional form to the disaster and creates the basis for later decisions.