Kathmandu, 27 April: The government, which has begun demolishing squatter settlements in the Kathmandu Valley, is now operating bulldozers across other parts of the country to remove encroached structures.
Local governments, administrative bodies, and other agencies have accelerated efforts to clear unplanned settlements and public land encroachments. According to Home Administration sources, District Administration Offices are intensifying the collection of records of encroached land following directives from higher authorities.
Prime Minister Balendra Shah (Balen), in his 100-point agenda, had pledged to immediately remove illegal occupation of public land, strengthen monitoring systems, and prepare digital records. The government committed to completing data collection within 60 days and resolving issues of landless settlers within 1,000 days. Bulldozers were deployed in the capital starting Saturday after directives were issued to security agencies.
While demolition in Kathmandu is led by the Prime Minister’s direct initiative, other cities such as Biratnagar, Birgunj, Butwal, and Pokhara are carrying out similar actions with expectations of federal support. In some areas, provincial governments are leading the efforts.
In Madhesh Province, local bodies have acted on provincial directives to remove encroachments on roads and public land. In places like Birgunj and Sakhuwaprasouni, hundreds of houses built on encroached land have been demolished. Authorities claim the land was illegally occupied, while also stating that genuine landless families will be managed.
Local governments are also actively involved. Biratnagar and Butwal have cleared footpaths and roadside structures after short public notices. However, residents have expressed anger, saying they were given little time to relocate despite living there for decades with access to utilities.
There have also been allegations of misuse of authority. In Sunsari’s Duhabi, a mayor reportedly used bulldozers to clear structures for personal road access, sparking public backlash.
In addition, projects such as the Sunsari-Morang Irrigation Project and the Galchhi–Trishuli–Syapru Besi Road Project have issued notices and begun clearing encroached land. The Department of Roads has also moved to remove illegal structures along the Mahendra Highway.
Overall, bulldozer operations to clear public land encroachments are expanding nationwide. While such actions have occurred in the past, officials say stronger backing from the federal government has now intensified enforcement.
