The National Human Rights Commission has issued a scathing assessment of the government’s recent operation to clear informal settlements along the riverbanks of the Kathmandu Valley, describing the process as a significant violation of fundamental human rights. The clearance, which commenced on 12 April, targeted long-standing communities in Thapathali, Sinamangal, Gairigaun, and Manohara. While the state deployed a massive force of Nepal Police and Metropolitan Police equipped with heavy machinery to demolish homes, schools, and religious sites, the commission’s monitoring teams found that the human cost was largely ignored in the rush to reclaim public land.
The commission highlighted a profound lack of state preparedness, noting that the two-day notice period was woefully insufficient for families to secure their belongings or find alternative accommodation. This administrative failure left hundreds of residents, including pregnant women, the elderly, and the disabled, in a state of acute vulnerability and confusion. The report further details the harrowing psychosocial impact of the move, noting that the commission is currently investigating applications regarding two individuals who reportedly took their own lives due to the terror of the impending demolitions.
Conditions at the designated ‘holding centres’ in Kirtipur and Bhaktapur have been described as dire and undignified. Displaced families are currently residing in open sheds and tents that offer little protection from the elements, with heavy rainfall frequently flooding the temporary shelters. Beyond the lack of privacy, there is a critical shortage of nutritious food for infants and new mothers, and many elderly residents have been deprived of life-saving medication after their prescriptions were buried under the rubble of their former homes.
The National Human Rights Commission has reminded the government that these actions directly contravene the Constitution of Nepal and the Right to Housing Act, which mandate that any eviction must be preceded by genuine consultation and the provision of safe, alternative housing. With the new academic year beginning, the education of dozens of children remains in limbo as they lack the means to travel from the centres to their schools. The government is now under urgent pressure to rectify these failings by immediately identifying permanent, dignified housing solutions and ensuring that the basic health and educational needs of the displaced are met without further delay.