Bulldozers Begin Clearing Manohara Settlement Under Heavy Security Guard

Kathmandu Metropolitan City has begun using bulldozers to remove unauthorized structures in the Manohara squatter settlement today. This action is part of a larger government campaign to clear illegal settlements located on public land along riverbanks.

To ensure safety and manage the situation, about 1,900 security personnel; including 1,300 from the Nepal Police and 600 from the Armed Police Force have been deployed to the area. Before the heavy machinery arrived, residents were given until 9:00 AM to voluntarily take down their huts and move their belongings. While many residents have started moving their things, some structures are now being demolished by the authorities.

The situation remains tense following a confrontation on Saturday evening, where more than 20 security personnel were injured when some residents threw stones to protest the demolition of seven large permanent buildings. There are a total of 777 huts and structures in this specific settlement. The government has stated that they plan to identify and register genuine landless people over the next two weeks to help with their proper resettlement in the future.