NEPAL REBUILDS TRANSPORT ECOSYSTEM

Nepal's GenZ protests exposed fragile infrastructure, halting customs and transport. It called for urgent reforms to sustain resilient trade

- writes Niharika Singh.

What began with protesters offering flowers to police ended in pools of blood. On September 08, 2025, thousands of young Nepalis self-organised through popular forums and discord took to the streets of Kathmandu to protest against the social media ban, which brought to the surface deep-rooted underlying issues like corruption. They called themselves GenZ, and they had pledged to march peacefully, carrying poems, placards, and flags. The protests snowballed into unrest, throwing transport out of gear and bringing India's neighbour to its knees!

Since then, the same GenZs have resorted to rebuilding. Nepal's interim government has unveiled a wide-ranging economic relief and austerity package to address the massive destruction and disruption caused by the GenZ movement, which left more than 70 people dead and caused billions in damage as per initial assessments. The estimated loss covering damage to public and private properties, destruction of valuable documents, job cuts, and lost opportunities is nearly equivalent to one and a half years of Nepal's annual budget, or close to half of the country's GDP, economists say. With billions of rupees lost in damages, trade disruptions, and transport fleets stranded, the reopening of key southern customs offices marks the start of a recovery phase. Yet, the protests have left scars on customs infrastructure and raised pertinent questions on Nepal's transport system and its preparedness to withstand shocks in the future.

PROTESTS AND INFRASTRUCTURE BREAKDOWN