Gen Z protests caused Rs 84.45 billion in damage: Report

KATHMANDU: The government has made public a comprehensive report on the damage caused during the Gen Z protests, assessing losses to public property, physical infrastructure, and private establishments, along with a reconstruction plan.

The report was prepared by a high-level committee led by the Secretary of the National Planning Commission.

The committee was formed by a Cabinet decision and later submitted its findings to the government.

The National Planning Commission officially released the full study on Wednesday.

According to the report, the protests resulted in significant human casualties as well as extensive damage to public, private, and community-owned structures.

A total of 77 people lost their lives, including 73 men and four women. Among the deceased, 39 belonged to the 12–24 age group. The number of injured stood at 2,429, of whom 1,433 were between 13 and 28 years old.

The total physical damage has been estimated at Rs 84.45 billion. This amount equals 1.38 percent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product and 4.30 percent of the current fiscal year’s national budget.

Out of the total damage, 53 percent occurred in the public sector, 40 percent in the private sector, and seven percent in the community and other sectors.

Bagmati Province emerged as the most affected region. A total of 2,671 buildings were damaged in the province, of which nearly 80 percent were public structures.

The estimated losses include Rs 39.31 billion in buildings, Rs 12.93 billion in vehicles, Rs 20.36 billion in other physical assets, Rs 2.81 billion in cash and valuables, and Rs 9.02 billion in temporary and other private properties.

The public sector alone suffered losses amounting to Rs 44.93 billion. Of this, the federal government bore 66 percent, provincial governments 10 percent, local governments 21.8 percent, and public enterprises 2.2 percent.

Within the public sector, 44.7 percent of the damage was in buildings, 2.6 percent in vehicles, 23.2 percent in other physical assets, and 29.5 percent in temporary and miscellaneous properties.

Provincial data shows that Bagmati Province accounted for more than 66 percent of the total physical damage. It also recorded 74 percent of the total building losses and 58 percent of vehicle-related damage nationwide.

The private sector incurred losses of Rs 33.54 billion. This includes damage to private establishments and households, with Rs 27.49 billion—nearly 82 percent—affecting businesses, and Rs 6.05 billion impacting households.

Community and other sectors recorded losses worth Rs 5.97 billion, including damage to political party offices and community organizations. This sector accounts for seven percent of the total physical damage.

The report also notes that disruptions caused by the protests led to losses of Rs 13.87 billion in goods and services production. Employment was directly affected for 2,999 people, of whom 2,353 lost their jobs completely.

Under the proposed reconstruction plan, an estimated Rs 36.30 billion will be required to rebuild and repair damaged public infrastructure.

This includes Rs 19.98 billion for building reconstruction, Rs 6.16 billion for the purchase and repair of vehicles, and Rs 10.14 billion for other physical assets.

The report emphasizes prioritizing the reconstruction of public property, repairing damaged buildings, vehicles, and essential infrastructure.

It also recommends financial incentives and relief packages to support the recovery of private and community sectors.

Additionally, the committee has stressed the need for strong coordination among federal, provincial, and local governments to ensure effective relief distribution and smooth implementation of reconstruction programs.