Kathmandu District Administration Orders Eviction of Illegal Riverbank Settlements

Kathmandu. The District Administration Office, Kathmandu, issued an urgent notice on Friday targeting individuals who have been living unauthorizedly for years on public and government land along riverbanks. The notice states that such settlements must be vacated immediately, citing negative impacts on public movement, urban infrastructure, and the natural flow of the river.

According to the notice, illegally constructed huts and houses must be vacated by 7:00 PM on Baisakh 11. It is mentioned that assistance from the Metropolitan Police, Nepal Police, and the Armed Police Force can be sought if individuals are unable to relocate on their own.

Individuals in the settlements are also requested to move their personal belongings, clothing, and livestock to safe locations. Priority is to be given to the relocation of persons with disabilities, children, pregnant women, new mothers, the elderly, and the sick.

The administration has announced that it will begin demolishing the structures and clearing the encroached areas completely starting from 6:00 AM on Baisakh 12. A warning has been issued that those who create obstacles during this process will face strict legal action.

Families displaced from these locations will be temporarily housed in areas with minimum basic facilities designated by the government. Furthermore, the administration stated that the process of identifying and registering genuine landless squatters will begin once arrangements for secure housing are in place.

Noting that preparations are underway to provide proper housing for genuine landless citizens within the next 10 to 15 days, the administration has appealed for cooperation from all stakeholders.

It has been made clear that individuals will be held personally responsible for any damages incurred if they ignore the notice and remain in the area during the demolition of structures.