KATHMANDU, May 9: The Supreme Court on Friday issued an interim order barring the government from carrying out its decision to remove squatter settlements until a final verdict is delivered on the case.
A joint bench of Justices Kumar Regmi and Nityananda Pandey directed the government not to evict squatters and unmanaged settlers, stressing that the state must ensure their basic needs, including housing, education, healthcare and food.
The court also instructed authorities to make necessary arrangements for the protection and rehabilitation of affected families while the case remains under judicial consideration.
The order came after demolition drives had largely been completed in several settlements, but it has provided relief to many other vulnerable communities facing possible eviction.
The government under the leadership of Prime Minister Balendra Shah began its demolition drive on April 25 to clear settlements built on encroached public land in various parts of the capital.
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The campaign initially targeted settlements along the Bagmati riverbank in Thapathali (Ward No. 11), Gairigaun-Sinamangal (Ward No. 9), and Shantinagar (Ward No. 31). The drive later expanded to other areas including Kapan, Balaju and Balkhu, as well as other parts of the country.
According to Bishnu Prasad Joshi, chief of the Kathmandu Metropolitan City Police Force, both temporary and permanent structures built on government land were demolished using bulldozers.
Affected residents alleged that authorities issued only a one-day notice through loudspeakers, ordering families to vacate their homes before demolition teams arrived. The operation was carried out over Saturday and Sunday — both public holidays when courts were closed — raising questions over whether due legal procedures were followed.
Many families said they were left homeless overnight without sufficient time to arrange alternative shelter. Elderly people, pregnant women and sick residents were among those displaced during the drive.
Residents said they struggled to find rental rooms on short notice as rents surged following the sudden increase in demand. Some accused security personnel of carrying out the demolitions forcefully without ensuring proper rehabilitation arrangements.
Although the government claimed it had arranged temporary shelter and food for displaced families, several victims said the support was inadequate. Some alleged they were provided only two meals a day and kept in overcrowded conditions without enough money to buy extra meals demanded by their children.
The demolition campaign also sparked controversy after allegations surfaced that authorities had destroyed houses built on private land with valid ownership certificates and structures previously approved by government agencies.
The demolitions triggered protests across the country, prompting the ruling Rastriya Swatantra Party to direct authorities not to bulldoze houses built on private property.
The controversy deepened further after reports emerged that some leaders affiliated with the party themselves had allegedly built houses by encroaching on public land.
According to the Kathmandu Valley Development Authority, there were 871 squatter families living in various encroached areas across the capital, including 143 families in Thapathali, 162 in Gairigaun, 77 in Gothatar, 476 in Shantinagar and 13 in Manohara, all of whom have been dislaced.
The government has defended the campaign as part of efforts to protect public land, manage riverbanks, promote environmental conservation and implement long-term urban planning. However, concerns continue to grow over the humanitarian impact of the demolitions and the lack of long-term rehabilitation plans for displaced families.
Questions have also been raised over inconsistent land management and weak government documentation. Observers argue that if strict standards on encroachment and documentation were enforced uniformly, countless houses across urban areas would face demolition, making such an approach difficult to implement in practice.
Rights activists and stakeholders have called on the government to pursue planned settlement programmes and sustainable rehabilitation measures instead of carrying out sudden evictions.
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