Pain of the Bulldozer: 871 Families Displaced from Thapathali to Manohara, Suffering in Temporary Shelters

Kathmandu — After a bulldozer rolled through the squatter settlement on the banks of the Bagmati River in Thapathali on Saturday, Pakcha Tarim Kasai, 53, lost not only his shelter but also his wife Pushpa, who had always stood by him through hardship. During the evacuation, the couple was separated and taken to different hotels. Without a mobile phone, it was only on Sunday that Kasai learned his wife was at the Radhaswami Ashram in Kirtipur. He has been rushing between the hotel and the ashram ever since, desperate to reunite with her.

According to data from the Kathmandu Valley Development Authority, a total of 871 families have been displaced: 476 from Shantinagar, 162 from Gairigaun, 143 from Thapathali, 77 from Gothatar, and 13 from Manohara. They have been taken to the Radhaswami Satsang Vyas Ashram in Kirtipur and various hotels in Kathmandu. As of Sunday evening, 33 families had been sent to Kirtipur and 62 to different hotels, according to engineer Dorakaji Shrestha of the authority.

Many of those displaced had come to Kathmandu with big dreams. Kumari Tamang, 48, is now carrying the pain of watching the home built with her blood and sweat — shared with her three daughters, a grandson, and her ailing mother-in-law — lie in ruins. Sangita Singh, 40, whose husband has gone to Saudi Arabia, is stranded on the street with her three young children. Sushila Rai, 29, saw her dream crumble along with the house she had built on land purchased with her earnings from Iraq. Indra Bahadur (name changed), 67, who built countless homes for others, now finds himself homeless.

While the displaced cry out for proper housing solutions, they are currently forced to live in the Radhaswami Ashram or small hotels. Many desperately searched for rooms for three consecutive days, only to be refused as soon as landlords saw their children. Kumari’s plea is simple: “Let the government identify genuine squatters and provide a permanent solution.” The kasai couple’s demand is just as direct: “We need a safe place to live.”

According to TR Bhandari, president of the Hotel Association Nepal, approximately 700 displaced individuals are now staying in hotels in Balaju, Gongabu, Mitranagar, and other areas. But for how long? No one has an answer. In the name of solving the squatter problem, they have now been made homeless.