Squatters’ long wait for alternate shelter

Botched settlement of uprooted squatters brings into question the government’s image as the protector of the rights of all its people.

The plight of families who were evicted in April as part of the government’s drive to clear encroachments from public land and riverbanks across the Kathmandu Valley has only worsened with a deadline to vacate the holding centres in the Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Kavrepalanchok districts. These were the places designated by the government for their temporary settlement. However, even two months after their homes were uprooted, authorities are yet to arrange a clear and credible path to permanent housing as promised. Now, those who have been staying in holding centres awaiting long-term solutions have been asked to vacate the centres. This method is just as flawed as the hasty, poorly planned eviction in April.