Squatter settlements on Bagmati riverbanks razed as residents await an uncertain future

Kathmandu Post

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Those going to Kirtipur carry nothing except bedding and clothes. Leave everything else where it is.

The heart-wrenching scenes at the Thapathali riverbank settlement paint a grim picture of displacement and despair. As bulldozers tore down homes built over years of struggle, residents, many of whom had lived there for decades, were left with nothing but the clothes on their backs and the trauma of losing their livelihoods. The callousness displayed by authorities, urging people to abandon their belongings as scrap, underscores the deep chasm between the government's development agenda and the human cost it exacts.

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What will happen to the belongings taken out of our house?

For individuals like Hira Hari Dusad and Kumari Tamang, the eviction represents a brutal uprooting, forcing them to confront an uncertain future. Their stories, filled with the pain of losing not just shelter but also cherished possessions and the stability of community, highlight the vulnerability of marginalized populations. The stark contrast between the metallic clatter of dismantled homes and the pleas of residents searching for a place to go is a powerful indictment of the city's approach to urban development.

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Are you also going to Kirtipur? Later, hand those things over there [to be sold] as scrap.

While the government may frame these actions as necessary for urban renewal or environmental protection of the Bagmati river, the human impact cannot be ignored. The lack of adequate and dignified resettlement options leaves these families in a precarious state, dependent on the goodwill of a system that has just rendered them homeless. The question echoing in the hearts of these evictees – "Where do we go now?" – demands a more compassionate and sustainable response than what has been offered.

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How can I leave everything behind?