A Decade After the 2072 Earthquake: Reconstruction Challenges and Lingering Seismic Risks

Kathmandu. Even when one tries to forget, Baisakh 12 cannot be erased. Every year on Baisakh 12, Nepali society is transported back to the past. The memory of the 2072 earthquake sends a shiver down the spine. The earthquake's aftershocks shattered the dreams of millions. It took away roofs, laughter, and loved ones. It claimed lives instantly and left many permanently injured.

Even a decade after the earthquake, the wounds have not healed. In the alleys of the capital and the hillsides of mountain villages, many collapsed homes have yet to be rebuilt. Memories were buried deeper than the houses themselves. A decade later, Nepalis are still waiting for reconstruction.

Private homes, schools, archaeological sites, and various government buildings destroyed by the earthquake are still in the process of being rebuilt. On Saturday, Baisakh 12, 2072, at 11:56 AM, a 7.6 magnitude earthquake with its epicenter in Barpak, Gorkha, claimed 8,979 lives and left 22,309 injured.

The earthquake caused total damage to nearly 1 million private homes, 7,553 schools, 49,681 classrooms, and 544 health institutions, while 653 health institutions suffered partial damage.

Similarly, 415 government buildings, 920 cultural heritage sites including 170 world heritage sites, and 383 security agency buildings were damaged. Additionally, 3,212 water supply structures, 53 roads, and 299 human settlements were affected.

The Implementation Unit (Building and Housing) under the Department of Urban Development and Building Construction has released details of projects completed. According to engineer Kishor Bikram Shahi, out of 835,185 identified beneficiaries for private housing reconstruction, 834,267 have received the first installment.

He stated that among those who received the first installment, 770,774 (92.4%) received the second installment, and 744,045 (89.2%) received the third installment of the grant. Although the unit aimed to complete 99 percent of the work by this year, only about 89 percent of the reconstruction has been finished.

The unit also clarified why the payment process for private housing reconstruction could not be fully advanced. Unit Chief Jhappar Singh Bishwakarma stated that the payment process remained incomplete because not all beneficiaries identified in the initial phase submitted applications to the relevant government agencies within the stipulated time.

“Payments have been made to beneficiaries who submitted applications claiming completion of private housing construction by the end of Ashar 2079,” he said. “There were no issues for those who submitted applications properly within the specified period. However, since some beneficiaries did not contact the district office by that time, it has not been possible to include everyone in the payments.”

According to Bishwakarma, the payment process for some initially registered beneficiaries could not proceed because they have not yet come into contact. Additionally, he noted that reconstruction work was delayed in some places due to land acquisition issues under the integrated settlement development plan.

Although the government attempted to accelerate reconstruction, delays in implementation are evident due to administrative processes, beneficiary participation, and challenges in land management.

The unit stated that despite the government prioritizing post-earthquake reconstruction, such challenges at the implementation level have left some private housing construction incomplete.

The unit also noted that the Rs 300,000 grant provided by the government was insufficient to complete construction, and because many citizens lacked the capacity for additional investment, they started construction late, which also contributed to the delays.

According to the unit, 253 government buildings in various districts were partially damaged and subsequently repaired. There are 288 model buildings constructed to operate government offices in various districts after the earthquake.

In 10 districts, community buildings constructed for temporary residence for 756 families are being used for various purposes, the unit reported.

The number of government buildings completed with the support of the government and the Asian Development Bank is 151. Regarding building retrofitting, out of 11 Rana-era buildings, 8 have been completed and 3 are currently undergoing retrofitting. There are 28 archaeological heritage projects being preserved and reconstructed with India's assistance.

Similarly, there are 12 projects under construction, and 97 integrated settlement development projects have been completed in various districts. Since the earthquake, 1,126 health buildings have been constructed.

The 62nd Annual Report of the Auditor General noted that the project scope covered 31 districts, including 14 highly affected and 17 less affected districts, for the sustainable and planned construction of damaged structures and the rehabilitation and relocation of displaced individuals and families.

The report pointed out that the sustainable and planned construction of earthquake-damaged structures and the rehabilitation and relocation of displaced persons were not carried out effectively.

The report states, “For private housing reconstruction, agreements were made with 834,821 people with an expenditure of Rs 231.61 billion, and for retrofitting, agreements were made with 33,905 people with an expenditure of Rs 1.7431 billion, totaling Rs 233.35 billion.”

As of the end of Ashar 2081, the report suggests that since Rs 292.5 million remains to be paid to 558 beneficiaries for the first installment, 375 for the second, 1,548 for the third, and 1,072 for the second and final installment of retrofitting, there should be monitoring to ensure the proper use of grant funds for those who have not taken their installments after the agreement.

Infrastructure experts state that policy ambiguity, the role of contractors, and the financial capacity of beneficiaries have been major obstacles in post-earthquake reconstruction. Expert Gajendra Thapaliya noted that the lack of policy clarity on whether to “reconstruct or rebuild” created confusion from the beginning, affecting the entire process. “Some took the installment money but did not proceed with construction; the tendency of not coming to collect money on time has also added to the problem,” he said.

He mentioned that rising construction costs and the weak financial capacity of many beneficiaries were other main reasons for the delay. “Since the government grant was not enough, many could not start construction on time,” he said.

Although more than Rs 400 billion was pledged at the donor conference held to raise funds for post-earthquake reconstruction, the support was not received as announced. The Gorkha earthquake caused the most damage in 14 districts: Okhaldhunga, Dolakha, Ramechhap, Sindhupalchok, Kavrepalanchok, Sindhuli, Bhaktapur, Lalitpur, Kathmandu, Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading, Gorkha, and Makwanpur.

Seismic Risk Remains:

Experts say that although the 2072 earthquake taught many lessons, Nepal is still not free from seismic risk. According to Dr. Lokbijaya Adhikari, head of the National Earthquake Monitoring and Research Center under the Department of Mines and Geology, while there has been some improvement in the decade since the earthquake, there is still a lack of preparedness and public awareness. “The 2072 earthquake taught us a lot about what to do, what not to do, and how to stay safe,” he said, “but I am worried that we are reaching a state of forgetting even after such massive human loss.”

According to him, the risk of an earthquake in Nepal remains at any time. He stated that seismic risk is particularly high from Kathmandu to the Chure region. Dr. Adhikari noted that while building codes have been implemented, awareness of strengthening structures has increased, and improvements are visible in some places, standards are still not being fully followed.

“Although standards are applied to government buildings, implementation at the private and local levels is not yet complete,” he said. “Public awareness has increased, but it is not enough.”

Dr. Adhikari also expressed concern over the tendency to limit public awareness about seismic risk to only a few days. “We only remember on days like Baisakh 12, but the risk is always there,” he said. According to Adhikari, the main weaknesses are the lack of earthquake education in the curriculum, the lack of regular drills, and the ineffective implementation of preparedness programs. “The fact that an earthquake is not happening now does not mean the risk has decreased; rather, it is a sign that the risk is always present,” he clarified.

He emphasized the need to focus on preparedness, earthquake education, the preservation of open spaces, and the construction of earthquake-resistant structures. “We learned a lot, but there is still more to learn,” he said. “If preparedness is not prioritized, the risk could increase in the future.”

Dr. Adhikari mentioned that it is a positive aspect that there has been some progress in earthquake-related studies and research since 2072.