Awaiting resettlement, displaced squatter families struggle with life in holding centres

Hundreds of displaced families in Nepal's Kathmandu Valley are still awaiting permanent resettlement weeks after being evicted from informal settlements as part of a government campaign to clear public land and riverbanks. While authorities have pledged to begin distributing land ownership certificates in early July, many families report significant hardships in government-provided temporary shelters.

Challenges in the holding centers include overcrowding, delayed relief payments, and insufficient food for vulnerable groups like the elderly and young children. Smriti Majhi, who lost her home in the Shantinagar settlement eviction on April 25, described the difficulty of moving belongings to temporary accommodations. Her family rented a room nearby instead, surviving on daily wage labor in an expensive city. She expressed urgency for the government to provide permanent housing as soon as possible.

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We survive on daily wage labour, and Kathmandu is expensive. The government should provide us permanent housing as soon as possible.

The government has resumed digital verification for displaced squatters living outside the holding centers, collecting detailed personal data after an initial basic registration. Anand Singh Bhat, executive chair of the High-powered Committee for Integrated Development of Bagmati Civilisation, clarified this is a re-verification of individuals already on the government's list. The committee has verified 1,488 individuals from 388 families in holding centers, out of 2,608 recorded displaced families.

Eligible displaced informal settlers are slated to receive a one-time relief payment of Rs25,000 and a monthly housing allowance of Rs15,000 for up to three months until permanent arrangements are made. However, many families, like Majhi, remain unaware of these relief packages or the necessary procedures, such as opening a bank account, highlighting a gap in communication and implementation.

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This is not a new registration drive. It is a re-verification of people who were already on the government's list but have been living outside the holding centres.