Respect squatters’ rights

Squatters live where they do only out of necessity; they have nowhere else to go.

After yet another decision of the Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) to demolish makeshift homes of squatters along the Manohara River in Kathmandu, squatter settlements in the federal capital have again come under the spotlight. Reportedly, the squatters have built 25-30 shanties by encroaching on the Manohara Land Pooling Project’s land. Three months ago, the KMC office released a notice, asking them to vacate the place, yet the squatters didn’t comply. Following this, on Friday, the KMC’s Municipal Police, together with Nepal Police personnel, arrived at the site with an excavator to clear the area. Seeing their structures being torn down, residents started lobbying stones and bricks at the police officers in protest as the police charged at the crowd with batons, resulting in a tense situation.