Supreme Court Issues Interim Order Preventing Eviction of Squatter Settlements
News Summary
Editorial reviewed.
- The Supreme Court has issued an interim order preventing the eviction of squatter settlements established along riversides and public areas in Kathmandu.
- The order was issued by the bench of Supreme Court Justices Kumar Regmi and Nityanand Pandey in response to a petition opposing the clearance of these settlements.
- The petition demanded that no family be evicted without identification, verification, and provision of alternative arrangements for landless families.
April 8, Kathmandu – The Supreme Court has issued an interim order restraining the eviction of disorganized squatter settlements located along various riverbanks and public spaces in Kathmandu.
A joint bench of Supreme Court Justices Kumar Regmi and Nityanand Pandey granted the interim order on a writ petition filed against the eviction of these settlements.
The petitioners, including Gopal Rana and ten others, filed the writ on April 24, opposing the planned eviction of the squatter settlements.
The writ challenged the eviction notices issued by the District Administration Office and Kathmandu Metropolitan City to clear these squatter settlements situated along Kathmandu’s riverbanks.
The interim order states, “Forced eviction of squatters and unorganized residents from their places of settlement without following due legal process may cause irreparable harm and human rights crises affecting their rights to education, health, and housing. Therefore, pursuant to Government of Nepal Cabinet’s reform agenda dated 2078/12/13 (March 26, 2022), item number 91, eviction or displacement of such settlements without following prescribed procedures shall not be carried out.”
The Supreme Court has also directed the effective provision of basic necessities such as housing, education, health, and food to the displaced squatters and unorganized residents.
The National Human Rights Commission has also pointed out the plight of displaced and informal settlers and demanded effective management to ensure their access to shelter, health, education, food, and other essential needs.
The writ petition called for identification, verification, and alternative arrangements for landless families living in squatter settlements in the Kathmandu Valley or anywhere in the country, and that no family be evicted, displaced, or forcibly penalized without these provisions.
View the interim order here:
