As the country has been greatly affected by the violent protests of September 9 that left hundreds of government buildings across the nation in ashes, communities are now rallying to bring essential services back to life. In several districts, locals have taken it upon themselves to clean up charred offices, salvage what remains, and even set up temporary facilities to resume disrupted services.

In ward 12 of Pokhara Metropolitan City, where the ward office was reduced to rubble, local residents have been at the forefront of the restoration drive. The sight of the burning office left local Sushil KC shaken. "The groups that set the office on fire did not even belong to our community. They came in two or three groups, and there was no one to stop them," said KC.

When the ward office issued a social media call for volunteers to clean the premises, KC was the first to arrive. On Monday morning, nearly 200 locals joined him, armed with brooms, buckets, and shovels.

"This ward office is our second home," said KC, a local transport entrepreneur. "Whatever anger people have against political parties is one thing. But this building serves the whole community. That’s why we all came together to clean it up."

Volunteers swept away ashes, cleared debris, and salvaged useful items. Broken glass was collected, and the city’s fire brigade helped wash down the charred structure.

Thanks to their efforts, ward chief Santosh Ranabhat was able to re-establish his office on the same day. "Three rooms were completely destroyed in the fire," Ranabhat said. "For now, we will start operating from four partially damaged rooms. We are preparing to resume full services by Thursday."

Ranabhat estimated the property damage at a staggering Rs26.5 million. "Without the community’s immediate response, it would have taken several more days to get things moving," he admitted.

On Tuesday, locals went a step further, forming a citizens’ committee, chaired by Tika Bahadur Karki, to spearhead the reconstruction of the ward office building.

As government agencies struggle to assess the full extent of the damage nationwide, local initiatives like that one in ward 12 of Pokhara Metropolitan City are emerging as a silver lining amid the ruins.

The September violence left a trail of destruction across Pokhara, with 20 ward offices completely gutted, seven partially damaged, and only six escaping harm. But as the smoke cleared, residents are stepping in to restore essential services.

On Sunday, local residents cleaned the ward 10 office, salvaging usable items before computers, internet, and electricity were reinstalled to resume services by Monday, according to ward member Purna Neupane.

Similarly, nearly 400 residents joined hands to clean the ward 5 office in Malepatan on Monday. The newly built office, inaugurated in July at a cost of Rs56.4 million, was reduced to a hollow shell after protesters set it ablaze and looted its contents.

“Seeing the new building in ruins was heartbreaking for locals,” said ward chairman Bishnu Prasad Baral. “But their enthusiastic participation made the cleanup possible and private sector support is now coming in voluntarily.”

Similar cleanup drives have taken place in wards 13, 16 and 17, while the private sector and various social organisations are contributing to restoration efforts across Pokhara.

The Pokhara Metropolitan City’s main administrative building, however, suffered the most extensive damage. Protesters torched the entire building, destroying vital documents, vandalising offices—including the mayor’s chamber—and looting office property.

City spokesperson Motilal Timilsina said preparations are underway to resume services from alternative locations shortly. “We will complete damage assessments by then and gradually restore all municipal services,” he said.

According to Timilsina, key offices including those of the mayor, deputy mayor, public accounts committee, legal, sanitation, and IT divisions, will temporarily operate from the fire brigade building in Shanti Ban.

The administration, revenue, urban development, records, registration, and municipal police offices will function from Pokhara's City Hall, while the finance division will work from the education unit building at Damsite.

“Even if offices reopen, it may take time for normal services to resume,” Timilsina admitted. “But with everyone’s support, we aim to restore them soon.”

Support pours in to revive Chitwan's ravaged offices

Chitwan’s government offices that were gutted during Gen Z protests, are receiving crucial support to resume services.

Lions Club International District 325R donated 15 desktop computers and five printers worth Rs510,000 to the Chitwan District Administration Office.

Chief District Officer Ganesh Aryal confirmed that several organisations, institutions, and individuals have come forward with offers of help. “We have developed a priority-based system to distribute the donated goods,” Aryal said.

According to him, more than 80 offices—including the district court, land revenue, survey office, and administration offices—were damaged in the fires. “To restart services immediately, we need at least 60–65 computers and basic furniture,” Aryal added. “Most of these materials are expected to come through voluntary contributions.”

Local units in Kailali resume essential services

In the farwestern Kailali district, efforts are underway to restart essential services from offices damaged during recent protests. On Wednesday, staff at the Godawari Municipality office began cleaning the premises to prepare for service resumption, said Administrative Officer Shiva Raj Bhat.

In Ghodaghodi Municipality, where the main office and all ward offices were destroyed, an alternative building will host revenue collection, recommendations for citizenship, and other key services starting Thursday, said Ghanashyam Ojha, ward 1 chairman.

Similarly, Kailari Rural Municipality, whose entire infrastructure was torched, plans to resume social security-related services from makeshift arrangements.

At the fully damaged Trinagar Customs Office in Dhangadhi, essential services have already restarted after cleanup, informed office chief Ananta Prasad Timilsina.

Koshi Province gears up to resume services

The protests left government infrastructures across Koshi province in ruins, with buildings in Jhapa, Sunsari, Ilam, and other eastern hill districts burned and looted. Yet, recovery efforts are gradually underway. Some offices have resumed operations from surviving rooms, while others are renting temporary spaces to continue essential services.

The provincial assembly hall, completely destroyed by fire, still bears the stench of smoke. But a partially damaged parliamentary media centre nearby has become the temporary hub for assembly activities. “After the Secretariat building was destroyed, we started operations from this room,” said Gautam Raj Amatya, acting secretary at the secretariat.

The Chief Minister and Council of Ministers’ Office suffered the worst loss, with files, digital records, meeting halls, and vehicles all destroyed.

Chief Secretary Chandrakala Paudel reported that 42 government buildings were damaged—18 completely, 24 partially—while 237 vehicles, including 64 four-wheelers and 144 motorcycles, were burned.

Siraha follows suit

In Siraha, all police posts displaced during the September 9 protests have resumed operations, easing security concerns for locals. “Residents themselves welcomed police back to their posts,” said Chief District Officer Basanta Adhikari.

The September 9 vandalism left 41 government offices damaged in the district, including 16 police stations. Among the 17 local units, 10 saw their offices completely destroyed while two sustained partial damage.

The District Administration Office issued a notice on September 11, instructing all offices to coordinate and restart services wherever possible. Full services are set to resume from September 18.

“With whatever resources we had, we tried to get things moving again,” Adhikari said, as life in Siraha gradually returns to normalcy.

Banepa Municipality operates from damaged buildings, police seek shelter with locals

The September 9 protests left Banepa Municipality in ruins. Two administrative buildings, the technical division, and two vehicles were completely destroyed, along with decades of records and artifacts, said Deputy Mayor Bimala Sapkota. “Only the documents stored digitally are safe,” she said. “Historical maps, case files, and even artifacts and ornaments of deities that are used during the Chandeshwari Jatra and kept at the municipality for security are gone. The safe, which had Rs400,000 and a cheque worth Rs2.9 million, was stolen.”

Sapkota, who also heads the municipality’s judicial committee, confirmed that all 31 case files dating back to 2017 were destroyed. “We now have to start from scratch,” she said, calling it a devastating setback for justice seekers waiting for years.

Despite the destruction, services have not stopped. Mayor Shanti Ratna Shakya said all municipal services are being provided from ward 10 office, which suffered minor damage. Cleanup is ongoing, with plans to expand services to nearby buildings.

Elsewhere in Kavrepalanchok, protesters set fire to Banepa Area Police Office, the District Traffic Police Office, and Panauti and Hinguwapati police posts, while damaging buildings in Panauti and Panchkhal municipalities.

Banepa Area Police is now operating from Sanga Police Post, and Panchkhal Police has rented a nearby house to continue services, officials confirmed. Even amid ruins, municipalities and police are struggling to keep basic services alive, relying on community support as they await long-term reconstruction.