Government Clears Thapathali Squatter Settlements, Bagmati Riverbank Opens Up

Kathmandu. After the squatter settlement in Thapathali was removed, the Bagmati riverbank area has now started to look open and wide. 

The appearance of the area has changed after the huts and temporary structures, where people had been living in an unorganized manner for years, were removed.

The riverbank is now clean, organized, and open after the campaign to clear the area was conducted with the objective of expanding the Bagmati corridor and protecting the riverbank. The area, which was previously filled with dense huts, narrow alleys, and garbage, now looks like an open field.

The Thapathali area is considered an important part of the Bagmati corridor. Due to encroachment on the riverbank, there have been problems with floods and garbage management every year. After the settlement was removed, it is expected that the beauty of the corridor area will increase and the river cleaning campaign will also be facilitated.

However, the management of the displaced families along with the removal of the settlement has become challenging. Their demand is that alternative housing arrangements should be made quickly as they are being removed from the place where they have been living for years. Human rights activists and rights organizations have stated that a clear plan for resettlement is necessary when removing settlements. According to them, along with development construction, the basic housing rights of citizens should also be prioritized.

The Metropolitan City, however, has stated that this campaign is necessary for the protection of public land, management of the riverbank, and improvement of urban aesthetics. It has been said that there are plans to further organize the corridor area and construct greenery, pedestrian paths, and public utility structures in the coming days.

After the Thapathali squatter settlement was removed, the scene of the area has completely changed. The riverbank, which used to look disorganized and crowded, now appears open, clean, and organized.

Photo: Suryams Upreti / Nepal Photo Library