Squatter settlements along riverbanks in parts of the Kathmandu Valley are being demolished from Saturday morning, with no major untoward incidents reported so far. The government had earlier issued a public notice directing residents to vacate the areas.

Most residents had already left the settlements on Friday. A large number of security personnel were deployed from early Saturday to remove remaining structures, while bulldozers were brought in to carry out the demolition.

The clearance of the Thapathali settlement in Kathmandu is proceeding peacefully. Unlike previous attempts marked by clashes and protests, no incidents had been reported by the morning.

Kathmandu Chief District Officer Ishwar Raj Paudel said residents are cooperating with the administration. “Nepal Police, Armed Police Force and Municipal police personnel are assisting them in removing their belongings,” he said. “Those without alternatives will be taken to Dasharath Stadium, where their details will be recorded before arrangements are made to relocate them elsewhere today.”

Security personnel have been deployed in large numbers, with police and Armed Police Force personnel going door to door asking residents to vacate. Journalists have been barred from entering the settlement.

Kumari Tamang, who was leaving Thapathali, said she does not know where she will go after leaving the place where she had lived for 22 years. “I heard the government will keep us in lodgings, but I don’t know if there will be enough space or how we will be accommodated,” she said. “My father passed away just six days ago, and we were in mourning. Then this happened.”

According to the administration, those without alternatives will be placed in different locations, including Satsang Bhawan in Kirtipur, the Agricultural Development Bank training centre in Bhaktapur, a government building in Kharipati and other vacant land.

Kshama Basnet, who lives in the settlement with her two daughters, said they have moved their belongings but remain uncertain about where they will go. Paudel said the stadium will serve as a holding centre in the first phase to collect details of affected families.

“Teams from the Ministry of Urban Development and its subordinate bodies are on standby. After collecting details, decisions will be made on where to send families genuinely in need of support for temporary housing,” he said.

Following developments in Thapathali, residents in Shantinagar and Gairigaun have begun transporting their belongings, saying the two-to-three-day notice made it difficult to find rental rooms.

The United National Squatter Front had earlier urged the government to reconsider the decision, warning that eviction through security forces without alternative arrangements would violate human rights.

Meanwhile, Nepal Police have arrested Narayan Pariyar (Parishrami), acting chair of the Squatter Front and a CPN-UML leader, as preparations for the eviction continued. Police said he was arrested on charges of banking offence and maintained that the arrest is not related to the eviction drive.

The Kathmandu Valley Crime Investigation Office has also arrested Squatter Front general secretary Aryan Kunwar, adviser Dan Bahadur Karki and Dinesh Sunar.

Areas affected

Thapathali: Bulldozers have demolished structures in the settlement. According to Kantipur correspondent Daya Dudraj, residents are being taken to Dasharath Stadium in Tripureshwor. While most had already moved their belongings on Friday, some are still leaving.

Gairigaun: According to Kantipur Television correspondent Shikha Shrestha, some residents are still moving their belongings. Many are sitting outside their homes, while others are dismantling corrugated sheets. A few shops remain open. Some residents say they were given too little time to vacate. Only a small number of Nepal Police personnel have been deployed, and bulldozers have not been used.

Shantinagar: According to Kantipur correspondent Samarpan Shree, some residents are arranging their own relocation towards Bhaktapur, while others are unable to move due to illness. They say the government has not arranged a temporary shelter. “So far, the government has not shown us where we will live,” said local resident Tirtha Bahadur Shrestha.

Manohara River: In Bhaktapur, residents along the Manohara River are also removing their belongings, according to Kantipur correspondent Sundar Shilpakar. Most are doing so on their own, and the situation remains normal.

Relocation plan

The administration is preparing to place displaced families from Thapathali, Gairigaun, Manohara and other areas at Dasharath Stadium to collect their details.

Paudel said the stadium will be used as a holding centre in the first phase. “Five to seven locations have been prepared to accommodate them, and the arrangements have been made by the ministry,” he said.

He said background checks will be conducted before relocation. “All of this will be completed today. They will not be kept at the stadium for long,” he added.

Paudel said the eviction is being carried out with attention to humanitarian concerns. “Metropolitan police, Nepal Police and the Armed Police Force have been deployed, and announcements are being made asking residents to vacate,” he said. “Mini-trucks and pickup vehicles have been arranged to transport belongings.”

He added that nine government buses have been deployed to assist residents. “We have arranged to deliver their belongings to locations they choose. Ambulances and medical teams have also been kept on standby for the sick,” he said.

Prime Minister Balendra Shah had on Wednesday instructed security chiefs to begin preparations for clearing the settlements. Human rights organisations, civil society leaders and the Squatter Front had urged the government not to use force without ensuring alternative arrangements.