Kathmandu- The Supreme Court has ruled on the issue of squatter settlements along the banks of rivers in Kathmandu Valley, which has been disputed for a long time, and has ordered the removal of the settlements built by encroaching government land along the river banks.

Supreme Court Judge The bench of Dr. Anand Mohan Bhattarai and Binod Sharma gave a decision to remove the settlements built by encroaching government land on the banks of the river.

The full text of the Supreme Court’s decision on the writ filed by, Advocates Prakashmani Sharma, Narayan Prasad Belbase, Rama Pant Kharel Kavita Pandey, Sharmila Shrestha, and Alok Pokharel on 9th Baisakh 2068 BS on behalf of the Public Interest Protection Forum has been published. Writ was filed against the Office of the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers, the Chief Secretary, the Empowered Bagmati Civilization Integrated Development Committee, the Ministry of Physical Planning and Construction, the Ministry of Local Development and the Chief District Officers of Kathmandu, Lalitpur, and Bhaktapur .

In the judgement, it has been directed to identify the real homeless and remove the encroached settlements in a phased manner. Real homeless residents who are forced to live without alternatives should be identified and transferred to the housing currently built in Ichangunarayan, if it cannot be managed there, arrangements must be made elsewhere and in the case of real homeless people who do not have an immediate alternative arrangement, taking into consideration the right to residence guaranteed by Article 37(1) of the Constitution of Nepal, Court has issued an order to remove the encroachment by providing cash as immediate relief to facilitate the relocation.

Similarly, for the protection of river areas, it has been ordered to allow construction of structures only by leaving 40 meters of land in the case of large rivers and streams in the valley such as Bagmati and Bishnumati. Earlier in the year 2065, the Council of Ministers decided to leave only 20 meters area in the big rivers. It has been said that 20 meters more should be left in the river where it was said that 20 meters should be left earlier.

There is also an order of the Supreme Court to leave 20 meters in the rivers and streams which had not been demarcated before. It has also ordered not to allow the construction of any structure on the land within the river boundary.