Kathmandu Metropolis Directs Protection of Evicted Public Land

Kathmandu. The acting mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City, Sunita Dangol, has directed to start work for the protection of public land that was cleared after evicting informal settlements. While inspecting the area cleared on the banks of the Bagmati River in Thapathali on Saturday, she gave this directive to the Chief Administrative Officer Saroj Guragain.

She has directed to coordinate with the Empowered Bagmati Civilization Integrated Development Committee and other concerned offices for the security and protection of the current and subsequently cleared areas, and to start fencing work through the Public Construction Department.

On Sunday, acting mayor Dangol also inspected the physical condition of the colony in Ichangu, Nagarjun. The plan is to house the actual landless residents of the disorganized settlements in these buildings.

The settlement in the Thapathali area of the Bagmati River section was cleared on April 12 during the process of clearing settlements built on unauthorized structures on public and government land along the river banks. For this, individuals residing in unauthorized settlements within the metropolis were informed through public announcements starting Thursday to clear the areas themselves.

Following the issued notice, some families voluntarily vacated their homes and structures on Friday. This process of voluntarily vacating homes and structures continued until Saturday morning. Upon observing this situation, the local administration postponed the demolition program, which was scheduled to start at 6 AM, to provide an opportunity for self-evacuation. The demolition of structures began around 8 AM.

According to Hiralal Tandukar, Chairman of Ward No. 11 and Coordinator of the Metropolis Building Management Committee, there were a total of 332 houses and structures in Thapathali and Banshighat within the ward. Of these, 136 houses and structures in Thapathali have been demolished.

The Metropolitan Police Force provided assistance with vehicles and manpower to those relocating to other areas, helping them move their belongings out of their homes and transport them to their chosen destinations. This area is behind the Maternity Hospital. Banshighat is located behind Bishwoniketan School. There are 196 houses and structures here.

Under the disorganized settlements along the Bagmati River section from Sinamangal to Baneshwor Campus, there were 162 households in Ward No. 9 and 476 houses and structures in the Dirghashanti Tole (Jagritinagar) of Ward No. 31. Of these, the houses and structures in Ward No. 9 were cleared on April 12.

In Ward No. 31, the work was only partially completed by 9 PM on the same day. On April 13, manpower and resources were concentrated in the Manohara area.

According to Bishnuprasad Joshi, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Force, while demolishing the disorganized settlements in the Manohara area, resources were distributed from noon, and the demolition of houses and structures in Ward No. 31 Jagriti Nagar began at 1 PM.

Today, work is underway on both sides of the Manohara River section, in Kathmandu and Madhyapur Thimi, along with Jagritinagar. According to the Urban Development Authority, there are 46 households in the model settlement of the Swayambhu Van Parikrama Marg in Ward No. 15 of the Metropolitan City, located on public and vacant land.

There are 123 households in Jagriti Marg of Ward No. 16 and 76 households in Buddhajyoti. According to Nirmalraj Baral, Chief of the Kathmandu Metropolitan City's Chamati Development Project, there are 5 informal settlements as one enters the Parikrama Marg from Banesthali.

According to the Authority's data, there are 114 households in Jadibuti Milan Chowk of Ward No. 32, 401 households in Jagaran Marg of Ward No. 14, and 23 households in Anamnagar of Ward No. 29. According to Ramkumar KC, Chairman of Ward No. 10 and Coordinator of the Metropolis Social Committee, there are approximately 230 families in 3 locations within this ward: Devighar, Vinayak Nagar, and Shankhamul.

He stated that there is a road along the river bank, followed by settlements. According to Narendra Kumar Thapa, a member of Ward No. 6, there are 148 households in Ramhiti, 42 in Subigaun, 9 in Rembodanda, 14 in Shantinagar, 22 in Chuchepati, and 11 houses and structures in Kumharigal within the ward.

According to a report prepared by the Empowered Bagmati Civilization Integrated Development Committee in 2079 BS, there are 3,496 households of disorganized residents along the river banks in the Kathmandu Valley.

The committee's report shows that there are 2,245 households of disorganized residents within Kathmandu Metropolitan City, 90 in Kageshwori Municipality, 156 in Budhanilkantha, 17 within Lalitpur Metropolitan City, and 773 in Bhaktapur Municipality.

Some houses may have been added in the intervening three years. Based on this, it is estimated that there are around four thousand disorganized settlements in the Kathmandu Valley.