Pokhara Metropolis Recommends 6 Land Plots for Squatter Resettlement

Pokhara. Six plots of land have been recommended to Pokhara Metropolis to manage the squatters of Pokhara Buspark.

The land search committee, formed 10 days ago, submitted its report to Mayor Dhanraj Acharya on Thursday. According to the prepared report, six different places have been proposed based on priority.

The first proposal is for land in the Ramghat area of Ward No. 11. The report mentions that squatters can be relocated to about 46 ropanis of barren land occupied by the Pun Samaj. It is recommended that squatters can be moved to this land as it will not be affected by the Seti River's 30-meter standard. Water, electricity, and roads are also available.

The committee's report states that 248 ropanis of land at the sheep farm in Ward No. 14 is also suitable for settlement. The report submitted suggests that some squatter families, including those from Bachhebuduwa and the sheep farm, can be moved here. The land here is vacant. Road, electricity, and water are also available here. Since there is ample land, the report mentions that squatters from the buspark and the Phirke corridor can also be relocated here.

Ward No. 15's Majuwa has also been put forward as a suitable option. There is 99 ropanis of land in this area. Some of this land is owned by the Provincial Police, while the rest needs to be re-demarcated. Ward No. 17's Pragati Tole is also recommended as suitable for squatter relocation. This area has about 23 ropanis of land. The committee stated that some parts are already inhabited, and some are vacant. The land of Sahara Park in Ward 17 was also inspected.

About 20 ropanis of barren land were found in this park. However, it is recommended that the land is not suitable for settlement as it falls within the Seti's standard. More land has been searched in Ward No. 21's Dobilla. There are 430 ropanis of usable land here. Although some parts fall within the standard, the committee concluded that most of the area is suitable for management. Ward No. 25 Hemja's approximately 893 ropanis of land is also deemed suitable for relocation by the committee.

The metropolis has sought new alternatives for the management of squatters, unorganized residents, and landless people who have been living on various public barren and government lands for years. For this purpose, a 7-member land search committee was formed 10 days ago under the convenorship of Radhika Shahi Yogi, chairperson of Ward No. 17. The committee has identified the necessary land and prepared a report with the immediate goal of managing 600 families from the buspark and Phirke corridor areas.

The committee included Ward No. 9 Chairman Dipendra Marshani, Ward No. 15 Chairman Toran Baniya, Ward No. 14 Chairman Bodhraj Karki, Ward No. 25 Acting Chairperson Dhana Pokhrel, Chief of Survey Branch Pokhara Sita Karki, and Administration Division Officer Tikaram Bajgai (Member Secretary). While submitting the report, the committee suggested studying the risks of natural disasters, deforestation, and the impact on the ecosystem when relocating settlements.

The report mentions that most of the identified lands are at a safe height from the river's flow and outside the standard. Now, the metropolis needs to conduct technical testing of the recommended lands and finalize the legal process. This is because moving squatters from public land to public land again can have future consequences.