From squatter slum to high-rise

October 3, 2008

Filed under Development

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BY DEV KUMAR SUNUWAR

 

KATHMANDU, Oct 2 – Fulmaya Tamang, 52, migrated to Kathmandu from Nijgadh of Bara district with her husband 29 years ago. When she first came here she lived in rented quarters. One day her taxi-driver husband heard that people would be given the government land they occupied. Soon they moved to Ramhiti in Bouddha and built a hut there. Once settled on this unused government land, the couple sold their 4 kattha in Nijgadh and bought a taxi. 

But if the government has its way, they will be moving to a high-rise that will be communally owned. This year’s annual budget has allocated Rs. 160 million to resettle people living on public land.

It is not only squatters from Ramhiti who will be moved to a government-constructed high-rise. The government plans to resettle all squatters in Kathmandu Valley in such buildings. 

“We are not providing them with land deeds as they have been demanding but granting them community ownership after the building is ready and the resettling process begins,” says Sarita Shrestha (Maskey), senior divisional engineer at Department of Urban Development, Building and Construction (DUDBC), Ministry of Physical Planning and Works.

According to a study conducted by the Lumanti Support Group for Shelter, a non-governmental organisation working for squatters, there are 45 squatter settlements with a total population of over 13,000 living in the Valley along the banks of the Bagmati, Bishnumati, Dhobikhola, Tukucha and Manahara.

In the first phase of the resettlement programme, the government will conduct a survey of all slum dwellers and squatters and amend the contradictory policies, laws, rules and regulations relating to them, according to Shrestha (Maskey).

“The government has made a plan, as it saw a need to uplift the condition of low-income people living in squatter communities,” says Shrestha (Maskey), who is looking after programmes for slum dwellers and squatters at DUDBC. “There was also continuous pressure for this from I/NGOS, including human rights groups.” 

There is urgent need to resettle squatters from their slums, uplift their lifestyle and bridge the gap between rich and poor in urban area,” says Lazana Manandhar, director of LUMANTI. “This will also help reduce crime.”

 According to Manandhar, there are various examples from different countries of the involvement of people from squatter colonies in conflict and crimes, because of their poverty.

“The government is responsible for managing and relocating existing settlements and making the best use of public lands for development so that others are not able to resettle there again,” says Manandhar.