Bulldozing not the solution

The government must bring policies to address the needs of the citizens without homes.

Ever since he took office last year, Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) mayor Balendra Shah has been on a mission to make Kathmandu modern, sleek and developed, and perhaps get rid of the poor who may otherwise be an eyesore to the sukila mukila urbanites. At least, that is what his decisions seem to reflect. What’s more, the metropolitan police persistently chase street vendors off the streets, forcibly taking away their carts and supplies, thus depriving them of their incomes. The metro police have also repeatedly tried to bulldoze and demolish slums and informal settlements.