KATHMANDU: Infrastructure Minister Sunil Lamsal has brought Sushil Gyanwali, a figure with longstanding ties to the UML, into the government’s response to the Bhotekoshi floods, giving him a central role in assessing the damage and planning reconstruction.
The appointment came just three days after the Bhotekoshi flood swept through river corridors in Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading and other districts, causing extensive damage and putting the government under pressure to move quickly from emergency response to reconstruction.
Lamsal appointed Gyanwali as his expert adviser on August 29, following the flood on August 26, A senior official at the Ministry of Infrastructure Development said Gyanwali was brought in to help lead reconstruction efforts in the affected areas.
But the appointment was not entirely a product of the disaster. According to sources, Lamsal had been preparing to appoint Gyanwali as an adviser even before the Bhotekoshi flood. The disaster has since given the planned appointment a more immediate and consequential role.
Gyanwali brings substantial experience in post-disaster reconstruction. A civil engineer, he served as chief executive officer of the National Reconstruction Authority established after the 2015 Gorkha earthquake. He was also involved in Post-Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) work while serving at the National Planning Commission.
The Infrastructure Ministry formed a task force after the flood to assess the damage and prepare for reconstruction. The PDNA is being led by a team coordinated by National Planning Commission Vice Chairman Dr Gunakar Bhatta, with Gyanwali helping facilitate the process.
Gyanwali’s return to a government-facing role comes after he was removed as CEO of the Investment Board following an ordinance introduced by the Balendra Shah-led government in April.
He has since been appointed as a consultant to the “Kathmandu Vision 2040” project, which is being implemented with financial support from the World Bank and other international development partners. His salary and benefits are being paid through the project.
The arrangement has nevertheless brought him back into the Infrastructure Ministry. Bastola said Gyanwali is working on Kathmandu Vision 2040 while the ministry is also drawing on his expertise for the post-flood assessment.
“He is working from that side on KV 2040, while we are also drawing on his experience here for our PDNA work,” Bastola said.
Gyanwali is preparing the Detailed Project Report for Kathmandu Vision 2040, a major infrastructure initiative backed by the World Bank and other foreign development partners. The project remains in the planning stage.
His appointment has also raised questions about the political networks surrounding senior government appointments. Gyanwali, who is from Butwal, is considered close to senior UML leader Bishnu Paudel and has held important positions during periods when the UML was in government. Lamsal is also from the same region, while his mother remains active in the UML.
For now, however, Gyanwali’s immediate task is technical: quantify the damage caused by the Bhotekoshi flood, determine the resources required for recovery and help turn the assessment into a reconstruction plan.
