Slum settlers along Bagmati face eviction, uncertain future

The Nepal government has grand plans to revitalise the Bagmati river which flows through the Kathmandu valley and skirts the Pashupatinath temple, a UNESCO world heritage site. As the first step, the authorities have proposed clearing the river's embankments of 2,400 squatter families. The move to evict the slum dwellers has triggered a debate on squatter rights.

The matter has drawn media attention from the time the Nepal government formed a task force—the High powered Committee for Integrated Development of the Bagmati Civilization—on November 27 last year with the specific mandate to clear illegal settlements along the river. The task force, chaired by Mahesh Basnet, has the support of all political parties.