Under the leadership of Prime Minister Balen Shah, the campaign to remove nearly four thousand homeless settlements along Kathmandu’s riverbanks has been intensified. The problem of homelessness originates from the historical unequal distribution of land and socio-economic disparities, resulting in this forced situation. The government holds a constitutional obligation to manage homeless communities with dignity, providing temporary relocation and permanent housing solutions.
Balen Shah, who assumed office with nearly a two-thirds majority, has accelerated efforts to clear the roughly four thousand homeless settlements along Kathmandu’s riverbanks. Previously, as the mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City, this initiative faced setbacks due to lack of cooperation from the federal government. However, after becoming prime minister, he has coordinated with all three security agencies to advance the campaign. Despite government promises to temporarily relocate people before removing settlements and subsequently arrange permanent housing, homeless individuals—betrayed repeatedly by the state and political parties—continue to live with deep uncertainty, fear, and anxiety.
No one desires to become homeless or to live a precarious life along riverbanks. Therefore, the homeless citizens themselves are not the cause of the problem; the structural failure of the state to provide long-term and humane solutions is at fault. It is commendable that the Balen government is attempting to address this long-standing issue in a sustainable manner. However, simply shifting a humanitarian crisis from one place to another in the name of urban beautification is insufficient.
The issue of homelessness has long been exploited politically and by mafias. It is not merely a matter of illegal encroachment on riverbank land but a serious political question linked to social justice, human rights, and inclusive development of marginalized groups for decades. Bulldozers can demolish homes, but they cannot dismantle the roots of poverty and discrimination. For nearly six decades, politics and corruption have operated in Nepal under the pretense of the homelessness issue.
What is needed today is not ruthless displacement, but humane ownership and empathy; not instability and fear, but dignified permanence. Therefore, the government must take genuine and practical steps rather than show superficial concern.
