Bhaktapur, February 23:

Around 7,000 squatters, who have been living on the banks of the Manohara River in Lokanthali ward-16, have demanded that they be allowed to live there permanently.

The squatters began living on the banks over a decade ago. More and more squatters began making the banks their home after the then Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, recognising the area as public land, allotted it for the construction of a vegetable market of international standards, Padma Bahadur Sijapati, vice-chairman of the Nepal Squatter Sub Committee, said.

“We have been living here because we are landless,” Sijapati said, claiming that they have the right to live there. “In course of two years, the number of squatters surged from a dozen households to thousands.” “The government should recognise us as permanent residents of the area and establish our rights here.”

According to him, 735 houses occupy approximately 90 ropanis of land. “Most of the people living here are indigenous nationalities and Dalits.”

The squatters’ area also comprises the Shree Saraswoti Primary School, which is spread over a ropani of land. There are 70 students and five teachers in the school. Ganesh Magar, principal of the school, said, “Since the land is not registered in our name, we could not register the school at the District Education Office.”

Sijapati also threatened to launch a protest if the government “ignores the plight of 930000 squatters living across the nation.”