Sixty-eight Thapathali squatter families contact government amid settlement clearing efforts

Kathmandu – Sixty-eight families from the Thapathali squatter settlement have come into contact with the government. According to the Kathmandu Valley Development Authority, out of the 143 squatter families in Thapathali, 68 have reached out so far.

The government is continuing its efforts to clear settlements built along riverbanks and on risky public and government land in the Kathmandu Valley.

As part of this initiative, the settlement in Thapathali, located in Ward No. 11 of Kathmandu Metropolitan City, has been cleared. The process of clearing settlements in Gairigaun of Ward No. 9 and Shantinagar of Ward No. 31 is ongoing.

Preparations are underway to clear unauthorized settlements in Gothatar Budhachok of Ward No. 8 and Manohara Tole of Ward No. 9 in Kageshwari Manohara Municipality.

According to the Kathmandu Valley Development Authority, there are a total of 871 families: 476 in Shantinagar, 162 in Gairigaun, 143 in Thapathali, 77 in Gothatar, and 13 in Manohara Tole. So far, 68 families residing in Thapathali have contacted the government, and families from other areas are also beginning to reach out.

The families who have come forward will be taken to Dasharath Stadium, where their details will be collected, and arrangements are being made to accommodate them in various hotels in Kathmandu.

For now, household items have been securely stored at Radhaswami Satsang Byas Nepal in Sundarighat, Kirtipur, with separate spaces allocated for them. The families taken there will also be accommodated in hotels.

Starting tomorrow, the process of identifying whether all the families placed in hotels are genuine squatters will begin. The government plans to relocate families confirmed as genuine squatters to government apartments in Ward No. 1 of Nagarjun Municipality and other safe locations within two weeks.