For evicted squatters, Dashain brings little to celebrate

Families from Kathmandu’s Thapathali and Shankhamul squatter settlements were displaced after their homes were demolished in April. Many were taken to government holding centres while authorities investigated their cases. The central problem is that temporary shelter has not become a clear route to permanent housing.

Harimaya Jimba moved from a centre in Kirtipur to Bode in Bhaktapur, where she still lives. Pawan Gurung, displaced from Shankhamul, was taken to Kharipati. The centres provide basic accommodation and food, but they have separated families and cut residents off from nearby jobs.

Six months later, families still lack a timeline for land or ownership certificates. They want homes where they can reunite, work and support themselves. Until that happens, government assistance remains temporary, while their future housing and income remain unresolved.

A squatter settlement is an informal residential community built on land where residents may lack formal ownership or secure tenancy documents. Without recognized rights, families can be vulnerable when authorities decide to clear the area. This article reports demolitions but does not explain the legal reason behind them.

The families in Thapathali and Shankhamul lived in small huts and earned money through nearby work. Authorities demolished the settlements in April and moved many residents to holding centres, saying their cases would be investigated. Officials also promised possible land and ownership certificates, but gave no clear timeline.

That uncertainty matters because eviction removes more than a structure. It can disrupt employment, separate families and leave people dependent on aid. In this case, residents are waiting to learn whether the promised land will arrive and when they can rebuild stable lives.

The families had spent six months displaced when Dashain and Tihar approached. That length of time matters because temporary arrangements have become a prolonged crisis. Residents are still waiting for permanent housing, a clear plan and a way to restore their incomes.

Before eviction, Harimaya Jimba and others earned Rs10,000 to Rs12,000 each month from work in nearby homes. Two months after the demolitions, the government gave each affected family Rs25,000. It later announced Rs15,000 per month for people renting accommodation, but Gurung said nobody had received those payments.

The figures show the gap between lost earnings and uncertain assistance. Residents now rely partly on government support, including meals at holding centres, while their former jobs are no longer accessible. Without land or housing, they cannot easily return to work or plan their finances.

Eviction changed the families’ daily lives beyond removing their homes. They lost nearby employment, familiar communities and the ability to live together. The disruption is especially painful during Dashain and Tihar, when Jimba says families previously ate, worked and celebrated together.

Jimba’s former income came from working in nearby houses, earning Rs10,000 to Rs12,000 monthly. After moving to a holding centre, she could no longer reach those jobs. She and her relatives were also placed in different locations. The government provides two meals daily, but residents question how long that support can continue.

Food at the centres is basic, and Gurung says rice and lentils do not meet everyone’s needs. Sick people and children need more nutritious food. With no home, job or reunited household, Jimba says festivals now bring little reason to celebrate rather than the comfort they once provided.

Government support has covered immediate needs but has not resolved the families’ long-term insecurity. Authorities brought residents to holding centres and provide food there. They also offered financial assistance, while repeatedly assuring families that land and ownership certificates would be arranged.

The centres provide two meals daily, with rice and lentils available. Two months after demolition, each affected family received Rs25,000. The government later announced a monthly Rs15,000 allowance for people living in rented accommodation. Gurung said no one had received those promised payments.

The larger promise is permanent settlement. Officials have said land will be arranged and ownership certificates issued, but families still have no clear timeline. Until those commitments become concrete, residents remain dependent on temporary food and uncertain cash support, unable to plan housing, work or family life with confidence.

Temporary meals address an urgent need, but permanent housing addresses the crisis causing continuing dependence. A stable home gives families a base for work, family life and planning. The displaced residents say they need more than food because they cannot remain indefinitely in holding centres.

Before eviction, Jimba and others earned money in nearby houses and lived together in small huts. Moving to centres cut them off from those jobs and separated relatives. The government’s two daily meals help them survive, but do not restore income or independence. A short-term cash payment has the same limitation.

Permanent housing would allow residents to settle, reunite and seek work again. The article does not provide a confirmed housing plan or date, so the families remain dependent on support. If assistance ends before homes and livelihoods are secured, their hardship could deepen.

Secure housing or land ownership can provide the stability needed to rebuild everyday life. It gives a family one place to live together and a base from which adults can find or resume work. Without that stability, people may depend on aid and struggle to plan.

Jimba’s family once lived and ate together in a small hut. She and other residents earned Rs10,000 to Rs12,000 monthly by working in nearby houses. After demolition, relatives were separated and access to those jobs disappeared. Gurung also said authorities had not arranged alternative accommodation before clearing the settlements.

The families now ask for land and ownership certificates so they can return to work and support themselves. The article gives no confirmed timeline for those documents. Until secure housing is provided, temporary meals and uncertain payments cannot restore the family unity, employment and independence they previously had.