The ministry said it would soon issue an ultimatum for the squatters to vacate the land.[break]
“The ministry agreed to provide and mobilize force if necessary to end land encroachment and evict the squatters from river banks in various places in Kathmandu,” said Ekmani Nepal, under-secretary at the Home Ministry.
A meeting attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Bijay Kumar Gachchhadar with various stakeholders -- officials from the environment ministry, land reforms ministry, physical planning ministry, Kathmandu Metropolitan City and chiefs of security bodies -- took a decision to this effect.
Nepal informed that a task force has been formed to work on this particular issue. “The mandate of the task force has yet to be decided but the task force will work to stop the encroachment and save the government land and Bagmati civilization.”
Figures provided by the High-Powered Committee for Integrated Development of the Bagmati Civilization reveals that about 2,800 squatter households comprising 10,500 individuals have been living on the banks of the Bagmati, Bishnumati, Manohara and Dhobikhola rivers. The figures also show that squatters have encroached 1500 ropanis (76.31 hectares) of land -- from Shankhamul to Teku -- that belongs to the UN Park.
Landless squatters have been demanding for other alternatives before leaving the areas they have been occupying now. Meantime, squatters living luxurious life have also been reported.
“We have already held several rounds of interaction with the squatter community to stop the encroachment but they have been consistently refusing to vacate the land,” said Mahesh Basnet, chief of the high-powered committee.
He added that the rampant encroachment of the riverside has worsened the condition of rivers in the valley. “We have been unable to implement the Bagmati Action Plan that includes building dams, green belts and setting drainage system due to the encroachment.”
There is a legal provision that no government or private buildings are to be built within 20 meters of the river bank.
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