Building back better

The post-earthquake reconstruction has been too little and too late.

The inauguration of the reconstructed Ranipokhari and Durbar High School has brought a new lease of life. The inauguration right before the Dashain festival has brought some happiness among citizens. This is particularly evident in the way the photographs of the reconstructed structures were shared widely across social media. However, over five years after the earthquake, the completion of the reconstruction of a couple of structures is too little too late. President Bidya Devi Bhandari had inaugurated the national reconstruction campaign from Ranipokhari on January 16, 2016. The pond was expected to be reconstructed within a year, but it ended up taking more than four years.