Nepal estimates $2.56 billion flood damage, faces $52.6 million recovery cost

Nepal has estimated that the devastating floods that hit the country last week caused at least $2.56 billion in damage to property, housing and infrastructure. The government also expects to spend another $52.6 million on early recovery, officials said on Friday.The damage estimate, equivalent to 387.5 billion Nepalese rupees, covers homes, roads and other critical infrastructure destroyed or damaged in the floods. The initial recovery cost of 7.95 billion rupees will cover work over the first four months, including rebuilding roads, setting up temporary shelters and restoring drinking water and electricity.The scale of the destruction has left thousands displaced and added pressure on rescue and relief operations.Thousands remain displacedMore than 4,500 people displaced by the floods are currently living in 38 relief centres across Nepal.For many survivors, however, basic needs remain difficult to meet. People in some camps have struggled to obtain essential medicines and cash, even as authorities distribute food and other relief supplies.Suresh Kumar Karanjit, who is staying at a relief centre in Devighat in badly affected Nuwakot district, lost his younger brother in the floods. He said the centre did not have the medicine prescribed for his heart condition.Karanjit eventually raised money for his regular medicine by selling a carton of noodles he had received as relief for 400 rupees, or about $2.60.“We have been living here for a week. The relief materials are being provided, which is good. But there is a lack of medicine,” he said.Nepal's disaster authority chief Dharma Raj Uprety said health centres staffed by doctors and stocked with medicines had been established at each shelter. Authorities were also prioritising hygiene and sanitation to limit the spread of disease.Roads and bridges destroyedThe Aug. 26 floods devastated towns and valleys across Nepal, destroying homes, roads, bridges and other vital infrastructure.The floods were likely triggered by a glacier collapse, according to authorities.At least 1,259 people have been killed and more than 5,000 remain missing, Nepal's disaster management agency said. On the Tibet side of the border, China said 21 people had been killed and 541 remained missing as of late Wednesday.The destruction has also cut off several communities from normal transport routes.In Bidur, a town along the Trishuli River, residents have been using a temporary zip line to cross the river. Army personnel have been helping people use the makeshift crossing and assisting them on the opposite bank.Rescue teams search hydroelectric tunnelsIn a long-awaited breakthrough, two workers were also rescued from the Trishula 3A hydropower tunnel. Nepal's energy minister shared the updates on the workers trapped for nine days. Workers have begun manually opening the upper section of the passage, according to lawmaker Ram Neupane.An access road was constructed over the past week to reach the excavation site. But rescuers still face major obstacles. More rock blasting and debris removal will be required before heavy machinery can be brought to the area.Rescue operations have also shifted towards several hydroelectric projects where workers are believed to be trapped inside tunnels.About 900 workers remain missing. Specialised rescue teams from India, China and the United States are taking part in efforts to reach them.Recovery effort beginsThe government's early recovery estimate highlights the immediate financial burden created by the disaster.Upreti said the projected $52.6 million would be needed during the first four months to restore essential services and provide temporary support to affected communities.The longer-term cost is expected to be far higher, given the scale of damage to housing, roads and infrastructure and the continuing search for missing people.Catch the latest World News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.