Kathmandu. A total of 7,570 private houses in five districts have been damaged due to the severe floods in Bhotekoshi of Rasuwa district on August 26. According to the preliminary data released by the Department of Urban Development and Building Construction, the floods and landslides have caused a loss of about Rs 12 billion to private houses alone.

Director General of the Department, Rabindra Bohara, at a press conference on Tuesday, informed about the physical damage caused by floods and landslides and preparations being made for rehabilitation of the affected people.

According to the department, the maximum damage has been done in Nuwakot. In Nuwakot, 3,977 houses have been damaged. Similarly, 3,451 private houses have been damaged in Dhading, 1,779 in Rasuwa, 263 in Gorkha and 61 in Chitwan.

Similarly, 45 government buildings, schools and other public structures have been partially and completely damaged. The department estimates that the damage to these structures is estimated to be around Rs 4.5 billion.

As many as 3,450 people affected by floods and landslides are now living in shelter in 18 schools and various community buildings. The department is preparing to construct temporary shelters within three weeks to relocate them immediately as the schools have to be reopened.

It is estimated that the cost of these transitional shelters to be built using prefab technology is about one thousand US dollars per house. The preliminary estimate of the department is that about 90 crore rupees will be spent on the construction of temporary shelters. Preparations are also being made to mobilize the support of various donor agencies for this.

Director General of the Department Bohara said that this disaster is different in nature from the earthquake of 2072. According to him, although houses and structures were mainly destroyed in the earthquake, the flood has swept away the settlements in some places. The department says that it is challenging to identify safe places and develop new settlements as the land in some affected areas is also unsafe.

The department is conducting a preliminary study on the Bidur area of Nuwakot as a possible location for permanent rehabilitation. Although it was estimated that the government could provide a grant of up to Rs 7 lakh per house for the construction of permanent housing, the final decision in this regard is yet to be taken by the cabinet.

Currently, four technical teams of the department have been deployed in the affected areas of Dhading, Nuwakot and Rasuwa. The department has said that the construction of temporary houses and the development of permanent settlements will be further carried out after receiving detailed damage reports from these teams.