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🇳🇵 Nepal /Environment & Climate

Missing land use plan after squatter evictions

From Kathmandu Post · () English

Summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Kathmandu's recent eviction drive cleared thousands of structures from riverbanks, reclaiming land for potential parks and public spaces.
  • Despite the demolition, there is a lack of clear planning for the utilization of the reclaimed land, raising concerns about debris management and potential environmental hazards.
  • Experts warn that developing parks directly on debris without proper planning is unsustainable and risks re-encroachment, highlighting the urgent need for a comprehensive strategy to manage waste and create functional green spaces.

The Balendra Shah administration's recent drive to evict squatters from Kathmandu's riverbanks, while aimed at reclaiming encroached land for public use, has left a trail of destruction without a clear path forward. The demolition of thousands of structures along the Bagmati, Manohara, and Dhobikhola rivers has indeed freed up significant acreage, a move that theoretically aligns with the city's desperate need for green spaces. However, the subsequent lack of a concrete plan for utilizing this reclaimed land is deeply concerning.

Inside the Kathmandu valley, a total of 2,687 structures along the Bagmati, Manohara and Dhobikhola river corridors were demolished, reclaiming acres of land.

· Kathmandu PostQuantifies the scale of the eviction drive and the land reclaimed.

Officials speak of developing parks, but the practicalities remain vague. The immediate challenge is the colossal amount of debris generated – tens of thousands of tonnes, according to experts. The proposed solution of simply covering this waste with soil and planting greenery atop it is, as experts rightly point out, environmentally unsound and unsustainable. This approach risks creating further hazards and fails to address the fundamental need for proper debris management, reuse, and recycling.

Although officials have repeatedly spoken of developing parks and public spaces, there is little clarity on how this will be done.

· Kathmandu PostHighlights the lack of a clear plan for the utilization of the reclaimed land.

Furthermore, the absence of a clear reuse plan echoes past failures, such as the 2012 eviction drive, which ultimately saw re-encroachment. Without immediate and proper utilization, the cleared land risks becoming an eyesore and falling prey to illegal occupation once more. For a city like Kathmandu, which suffers from a severe shortage of green cover and high levels of pollution, the potential for creating much-needed respite is immense. However, this potential can only be realized through meticulous planning and execution, not through hasty demolitions followed by inaction. The urgency for well-maintained public gardens and open spaces, a need starkly highlighted after the 2015 earthquake, remains unmet.

Experts estimate that the demolition could generate tens of thousands of tonnes of waste.

· Kathmandu PostIndicates the significant environmental challenge posed by the debris.
About this summary

Originally published by Kathmandu Post. Summarized and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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