Bagmati Province begins assessing physical damages during Gen Z protests

By Rammani Dahal,Makwanpur, Sept. 19: The Bagmati Province government has started collecting details of damage caused by vandalism and arson during the Gen Z protests on September 8 and 9, 2025.

A task force has been formed to assess the damage to provincial government structures, estimate reconstruction costs and prepare plans for restoration.

According to Dipendra Subedi, Secretary at the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and a member of the task force, the committee has begun gathering damage reports from ministries, commissions, institutions and offices under the provincial government. He said field inspections of the affected offices are also being carried out alongside the collection of reports.

The four-member task force is led by Ishwar Chandra Marhata, Secretary at the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure Development. Other members include Indra Dev Bhatt (Secretary, Ministry of Water Supply, Energy and Irrigation), Hemraj Bhusal (Secretary, Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Land and Administration) and Dipendra Subedi (Secretary, Ministry of Culture and Tourism).

Subedi said the task force aims to complete its report by Sunday. It will assess losses from looting, vandalism and arson, evaluate the condition of damaged infrastructure and prepare an estimate of costs for reconstruction and resumption of operations.

The provincial secretaries’ meeting, chaired earlier by Chief Secretary Bhupal Baral, had instructed that an inventory of damaged property and documents be prepared in coordination with security agencies. Based on this, insurance claims and other procedures will move forward.

To ensure uninterrupted services, arrangements will be made to operate offices from alternative sites until damaged offices can be repaired or rebuilt. Funds for repair and reconstruction will be managed through the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Planning.

The meeting has also directed ministries and subordinate offices to submit details of government vehicles damaged or destroyed during the protests.