Protest at Maiti Ghar demands scrapping 40-meter riverbank rule (photos)

KATHMANDU: Thousands of local residents protested at Maiti Ghar today against the Supreme Court’s directive requiring an additional 20-meter setback along riverbanks in the Kathmandu Valley.

The demonstration coincides with the hearing of a review petition (vacate) scheduled for today regarding the ruling.

Holding banners and placards reading “Reject Unjust Standards That Displace People” and “Rivers Cannot Be Encroached, Citizens Cannot Be Evicted in the Name of Regulations,” protesters criticized the earlier decision as impractical and warned it would displace indigenous residents. Security personnel were deployed in large numbers to manage the crowd.

On Poush 3, the Supreme Court had issued an order to increase the existing 20-meter setback along major rivers such as Bagmati, Bishnumati, and Manohara by an additional 20 meters, making it a total of 40 meters.

The full text of the ruling was made public in Shrawan, prompting the Kathmandu Metropolitan City to prepare for its implementation and alarming local residents.

According to local stakeholders, if implemented as-is, the ruling could render over 80,000 families homeless.

They argue that the properties of citizens who have lived in the valley for decades and paid taxes should not be confiscated under the guise of regulatory compliance.

The government, citing flaws in the ruling, filed a review petition through the Office of the Attorney General.

Today’s hearing aims to urge the court to resolve the matter in a practical and just manner rather than displacing people from their homes.

-Saroj Basnet