Different places with basic minimum facilities to be designated for settlement of evacuees
KATHMANDU, APRIL 24
The government plans to evacuate encroached squatter settlements along the Kathmandu valley's riverbanks over the next two days. Three of these settlements - Thapathali, Sinamangal and Manohara - are scheduled to be evacuated from tomorrow morning and continue on Sunday.
Squatter settlements in the Thapathali, Manahora and Sinamangal areas were monitored by a team comprising security officers and members of the Kathmandu Metropolitan Police, who requested that they leave their squatters by this evening.
The heads of security agencies were instructed this week by Prime Minister Balendra (Balen) Shah to evacuate the houses and huts that have been encroaching on public, government and private lands along the riverbanks for years.
As a result, a six-point notice has been issued by the Kathmandu District Administration Office. The notice was circulated yesterday and today in three squatter settlements in the capital by a group of security agencies and the Metropolitan Police.
The notice stipulates that illegally built homes and shacks must be evacuated by 7:00pm today, after which they will be demolished and the encroached land will be entirely cleared starting at 6:00am on Saturday.
The notice also warns that anyone who obstructs such work will face severe legal repercussions. Moreover, it specifies that the government will designate different places with basic minimum facilities for settlement for the people and families who are removed from the said location.
The notice further stated that relevant ministries and authorised agencies will immediately begin registering genuinely landless squatters and initiating the screening process. Within 10 to 15 days, proper housing arrangements for verified landless individuals will be made ready, and the public is requested to cooperate in this process.
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) said in a statement today that it had only advised the government to manage the squatters after identifying the real squatters in 2012 and providing them with alternate arrangements.
The commission sent a letter to the government today requesting information on the recommendation's implementation status, according to NHRC.
Human rights organisations, political parties and Amnesty International have all questioned the government's action, claiming that squatters are being forcibly removed. Additionally, they have expressed suspicion that they are being moved without options or the bare minimum of humane treatment.
In a statement, Amnesty International Nepal said it is against Nepal's domestic and international legal obligations to try to evacuate squatter settlements within two days. It has accused the government of preparing forced evictions through this decision.
The creation of a strong High- Level National Land Rights Authority to use satellite mapping and digital biometric authentication to scientifically differentiate between real landless people and fake squatters occupying government land is mentioned in the RSP's election manifesto.
"By developing 'integrated model settlements' that are safe, convenient and linked to production, we will ensure permanent housing and land ownership (Lalpurja) for the genuine landless," the statement reads.
Accordingly, Prime Minister Shah has stated that efforts are being made to manage them through alternative means. He stated that the settlements are being removed to address the long-term issue by reducing the risk of monsoon right now.
Amid criticism surrounding the police's use of microphones to evacuate some squatter settlements in the capital, PM Shah wrote on his verified Facebook page: "We must end the threat to life that the squatters face each year because of the floods."
According to him, settlements along riverbanks in the Kathmandu valley have obstructed drainage systems and contributed to pollution, and expressed confidence that their relocation will improve urban environment.
Settlements in places like Thapathali, Gairigaun and Manohara will be moved in a safe, orderly manner without the use of force, according to Prime Minister Shah.
In keeping with his electoral promises, party pledges and the government's '100-point action plan,' he underlined that controlling landless squatters and safeguarding public land continue to be top priorities.
Additionally, PM Shah made it clear that the government would differentiate between encroachers and legitimate landless squatters.