The Pain of Kanchhimaya from the Sukumbasi Settlement: ‘If the Government Had Informed Us, We Wouldn’t Have Had to Find Rooms’

Structures in the Sukumbasi settlement along the Bagmati River in Thapathali have been dismantling since Saturday morning. In accordance with government directives and assurances, residents are relocating from the settlement and preparing to find new rooms. Kanchhimaya Praja, a resident with a family of five, has made plans to move to Kupandol by renting a room but says she faces difficulties with paying rent.

On 12 Baishakh, Kathmandu – The structures of the Sukumbasi settlement situated on the banks of the Bagmati River in Thapathali began to be demolished from Saturday morning. Residents who have lived in the area for years are relocating following instructions and assurances provided by the government. Some families are in contact with government authorities, while others are seeking shelter with relatives.

Amid the demolition work, a 55-year-old resident, Kanchhimaya Praja, was encountered at the site. She and her family of five have been living in the settlement but now are preparing to move to a new rented room after the government’s bulldozers demolished their homes. She had already moved all her belongings onto the road. According to her, she has found a room in Kupandol and plans to reside there with her family.

“The government has not clearly explained what will be done and how. Because of this uncertainty, we had to find rooms on our own,” she explained. “If the government had informed us properly about our situation, we wouldn’t have had to look for new rooms.”

Kanchhimaya had arrived in the Thapathali Sukumbasi settlement 20 years ago after her ancestral property in Dhading was destroyed by flooding. She earns income by working as a daily laborer to support her family. “Now I don’t know how I will pay the rent or manage my family. I feel even more pressure to work harder,” she shared, describing the difficulties faced by other women in the settlement.

Like Kanchhimaya, several other residents have already brought their belongings to the roadside and remain uncertain about their next steps.