Morang, May 4: Nearly 12,000 squatter families living in Biratnagar Metropolitan City are facing growing anxiety over possible eviction, following recent demolition drives targeting unplanned settlements in Kathmandu and other areas.
For years, these families have lived in makeshift homes along the banks of the Singhiya and Kesaliya rivers. Now, uncertainty looms large. From tea stalls to community gatherings, a common concern echoes: “If we are evicted, where will we go?”
Eighty-year-old Prem Prasad Niraula of Biratnagar–3 fears losing the only shelter he has relied on in his old age. Having already lost his wife, he says eviction would leave him with nowhere to turn.
Chandramaya Ramtel, a single woman who migrated from Khotang three decades ago, shares similar concerns. Living along the Singhiya riverbank, she survives on daily wage labour and a government old-age allowance. Six years ago, she spent Rs. 170,000 of her savings to build a small hut.
“We have nothing but this shelter. At this age, where will I go?” she said, urging the government to arrange alternatives before any eviction.
Local residents, including tea shop owner Binod Acharya and youth Sunil Karna from Paropakar Ghat in Biratnagar–1, say the uncertainty has left communities deeply distressed.
The squatter issue spans all 19 wards of the city. According to the Settlement Protection Society, hundreds of households are scattered across multiple wards, with the total number estimated between 10,000 and 12,000, including those on private land and unrecorded settlements.
Accurate data remains a challenge. Previous records were reportedly destroyed during unrest linked to the so-called Gen-Z movement, forcing the metropolitan office to restart data collection.
Bimal Niraula of the Settlement Protection Society argues that squatters should not be treated as criminals. He emphasized that many government-allocated lands are unsuitable for settlement or farming.
“If relocation is necessary, it should be done with consent and near urban areas where people can earn a living,” he said. “Forced eviction without alternatives is an injustice against the poor.”
Most families rely on urban labour and fear losing their livelihoods if moved to rural areas. Their demand is clear: relocation, if unavoidable, must ensure access to employment.
Deputy Mayor Shilpa Niraula Karki of Biratnagar Metropolitan City has sought to reassure residents, stating that no settlements will be removed without proper arrangements.
“The metropolitan office will not evict anyone without providing alternatives. We are working toward a systematic solution,” she said.
Despite these assurances, uncertainty persists.
Meanwhile, protests have already begun elsewhere. A rally was held in Dharan Sub-Metropolitan City, organised by the Settlement Protection Society, opposing forced evictions without rehabilitation.
Demonstrators chanted slogans against government policies under Prime Minister Balendra Shah, arguing that development should not come at the cost of marginalized communities. They called on the government to guarantee immediate housing alternatives before removing settlements.
For now, thousands of families in Biratnagar remain caught between official assurances and an uncertain future—holding on to fragile shelters that represent years of struggle and survival. #Nepal
