Nepal, Sept. 25 -- The recent Gen Z protests that swept across the nation have left vast swathes of public infrastructure in tatters.

The enraged protesters set fire to administrative buildings of four of Nepal's six metropolitan city offices-Biratnagar, Birgunj, Bharatpur and Pokhara-destroying dozens of ward offices, hundreds of vehicles and official records. The four metropolises are now struggling to deliver essential services from the ruins of their scorched buildings, relying on whatever infrastructure remains intact.

In Biratnagar, a blue tarpaulin tent now hangs in the municipal courtyard, under which Deputy Mayor Shilpa Niraula Karki has been conducting hearings and resolving public grievances. On Wednesday alone, in her capaci...