Number of Squatter Families in Kathmandu Valley Rises Sharply, Land Commission Begins New Survey

The number of squatter families living across Kathmandu Valley has increased dramatically over the past 18 years, now estimated to have surpassed 4,000, according to an earlier study by the High-Powered Bagmati Civilization Integrated Development Committee under the Ministry of Urban Development.

An engineer from the committee revealed that back in 2007 (2064 BS), the number of squatter families in the capital was estimated at around 400. However, since then, especially after a failed eviction attempt in Thapathali in November 2022 (Mangsir 2079), the figure has risen significantly.

The committee’s report documents settlements in 27 clusters across 20 wards in Kathmandu, Lalitpur, and Bhaktapur, where squatters have been occupying public land along riverbanks like Bagmati, Bishnumati, Godavari, Dhobikhola, Manohara, and Balkhu for several years.

Taskforce Formed to Address Long-Term Settlement

To determine the actual number of genuine squatters and to organize unmanaged settlements, the Bagmati Development Committee formed a task force on February 28, 2022 (2078 Falgun 16), led by board member Birendra Thapaliya. The team included former Urban Development Ministry Undersecretary Upendrakeshari Khanal, activist Govinda Kafle, surveyor Chetanath Parajuli, and former committee spokesperson Kamal Aryal.

Land Commission Calls for Fresh Applications Across Valley

The Land Problem Resolution Commission, in collaboration with Kathmandu Metropolitan City, has begun collecting official data of landless Dalits, squatters, and unorganized settlers throughout the valley.

Santakumar Karki, Vice-Chairperson and spokesperson of the commission, said, “We are coordinating with local ward offices to collect data this time.” He noted that although the commission had requested applications the previous year, local bodies did not cooperate, resulting in incomplete data—only about 2,000 families submitted applications at that time.

Now, the commission has already completed data collection in Budhanilkantha Municipality–Ward 9, where 701 families have been identified as squatters or landless. “We’ll begin distributing land ownership certificates (lalpurja) in that area soon,” Karki confirmed.

Over 1.35 Million Requests Nationwide

As of now, 1.35 million families across the country have submitted applications for land ownership certificates. Out of these, 1,096,400 cases have been registered in the commission’s system, including:

• 86,300 landless Dalits
• 167,000 squatter families
• Remaining: unorganized settlers

Kailali district leads with the highest number of applications—130,000 families seeking land ownership.

Karki also mentioned plans to reopen applications for those left out earlier. Despite no submissions from districts like Humla and Eastern Rukum, the government has deployed commission staff, including surveyors, to those areas. The Council of Ministers had appointed Hariprasad Rizal as the chair of the 23rd Land Problem Resolution Commission on October 30, 2023 (Kartik 13, 2080 BS).

Previously, the government had formed a commission under Keshav Niraula on September 10, 2021 (Bhadra 25, 2078 BS), but this was dissolved by the new coalition government under Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal on March 21, 2024 (Chaitra 8, 2080 BS). However, the dissolution was legally challenged by two central members—Govardhan Koli and Tek Bahadur Shahi—along with 17 others. The Supreme Court issued an interim order on March 23, 2024 (Chaitra 10, 2080 BS), halting the formation of the new commission. Only after the petitioners withdrew their case did the government reissue the formation order.

Plan to Relocate Squatters to Ichangu Narayan Still on Hold

The government’s longstanding plan to relocate Kathmandu’s squatters to Ichangu Narayan remains stalled. Three large apartment buildings with 300 flats were built under the Ministry of Urban Development. Each flat includes three rooms, a toilet, and a bathroom, but they remain unused.

The plan to shift squatters to these facilities dates back to 2004 (2061 BS), but was never implemented. The development committee has indicated that squatters residing along the Bagmati River have repeatedly resisted relocation to Ichangu Narayan.

On November 11, 2022 (Kartik 25, 2079 BS), the committee issued a public notice asking squatters to vacate the riverbanks within 10 days or face forced eviction. However, even after nearly three years, the warning has not been acted upon.

The task force had also proposed several models for sustainable settlement planning of squatters and unmanaged settlers in the Valley.