Squatter Settlements in Jhapa Face Uncertainty Amid Nationwide Eviction Drive

Biratnagar. A campaign to clear encroached land is intensifying across various local levels in Nepal, including the Kathmandu Metropolitan City. The government, led by Prime Minister Balendra (Balen) Shah, has issued a strict circular to all municipalities to clear structures built on riverbanks, road setbacks, school grounds, and other public lands.

Social media and mainstream news outlets are filled with scenes of demolished homes, weeping citizens, and operating bulldozers.

This government move has created significant fear among squatters and unmanaged settlers nationwide. However, in the squatter settlements of Damak, which falls under Prime Minister Shah's own parliamentary constituency (Jhapa Constituency No. 5), a mix of fear and hope prevails.

While viral videos on social media have left them anxious, there is also a belief that the person they voted for would not displace them.

Hundreds of squatter families have lived near the tea gardens in Damak Municipality Ward No. 4 for years. Organized under groups like the Sunaulo Ekta Tole Development Organization, about 120 households are currently discussing the central government's policy and their future.

Local resident Kushal Sarki does not believe the government will use bulldozers on them. He stated, 'We have no fear that a bulldozer will run over our homes. We have full faith that the person we voted for will not do that.'

However, not everyone is as carefree. Binod Baraili, a city safari driver who has lived there for a long time, expresses concern, noting that they have been there for three to four generations since 2016 BS.

Local resident Jishan Khadka demands that if the government intends to remove them, they must provide a proper alternative. 'If we are to be removed, we should be relocated elsewhere and compensated for our structures,' he said.

Madan Adhikari, Chairman of the Land Issues Resolution Commission in Jhapa, noted that over 50,000 applications for land ownership certificates have been filed across 15 municipalities in the district. He clarified that there are legal provisions preventing the indiscriminate removal of all unmanaged settlers.

Adhikari mentioned that the commission, which began full operations in Baisakh 082, had distributed certificates to about 1,000 families before work stalled following court orders and government changes after Bhadra 23/24.

While the government targets encroached public land, Adhikari emphasized that those living on land claimed by the forest department for decades face unique challenges, as the land is often no longer forested but remains legally disputed.