Kathmandu, September 3

Nepal Mahila Ekata Samaj today urged the government to manage planned settlements for displaced slum dwellers.

Speaking at a media interaction on ‘Reality of slum dwellers’, Bimala Tamang, president of NMES, said the new constitution should ensure safe settlements as the fundamental right to squatters.

“The government should discourage forced evacuation of slum dwellers. Efforts should be made towards building planned settlements for slum dwellers,” Bimala said, adding, risky settlements should be relocated to safer areas.

Bina Buddhacharya, treasurer of NMES, informed that over 65 slums exist in the Kathmandu Valley with 12, 646 people residing in 3,922 permanent shelters. In 2012, around 3,000 police personnel were deployed for forced evacuation of 258 households in the Thapthali slum and six households in the Sinamangal slum.

“The evacuated squatters still remain neglected by the government. It seems the government is not bothered about relocating the squatters,” Buddhacharya added.