KMC and KVDA issues seven-day ultimatum to vacate encroached public land and remove illegal structures

KATHMANDU: Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) and the Kathmandu Valley Development Authority (KVDA) have jointly issued a seven-day ultimatum to individuals and groups occupying public land or maintaining structures built in violation of urban standards across the capital. The directive follows a joint meeting held on Asoj 2, where both authorities decided to intensify long-running efforts to reclaim public spaces and river corridors encroached over the years.

In a public notice released on Thursday, the authorities instructed all parties residing, constructing, or operating businesses on government-owned land, riverbanks, sidewalks, green belts, and public open spaces to remove their structures within one week. Failure to comply, the authorities warned, will result in enforcement action, including demolition and legal penalties.

According to officials, the ultimatum applies within the Kathmandu Metropolitan City area and adjoining regions falling under Kathmandu district boundaries. The campaign specifically targets encroachments along river corridors including Bagmati, Bishnumati, Tukucha, Ichchhumati, and Manohara, where settlements, commercial sheds, landfills, and concrete buildings have continued to expand despite repeated government commitments to restore river systems and open spaces.

KMC has for months been promoting its plan to restore Kathmandu’s rivers, improve drainage systems, enhance urban greenery, and expand public mobility routes around waterways. While the city has successfully cleared several encroached sections of riverbanks in recent operations — including parts of Bishnumati and Tukucha corridors — significant pockets of resistance remain.

One of the most challenging areas, according to officials, has been the settlement along the Bagmati river near Teku and Sinamangal, where squatter communities have resided for decades. Previous attempts to relocate residents stalled due to lack of long-term rehabilitation arrangements, political intervention, and social sensitivities surrounding vulnerable urban households.

Authorities said the new ultimatum is part of a broader urban governance and public land protection effort. They have stated that priority will be given to dialogue and relocation support where feasible, but enforcement will proceed if settlements refuse to cooperate.

Urban planners and development observers note that unplanned settlement along riverbanks has contributed to pollution, flood risk, road congestion, and obstruction of long-planned public infrastructure projects, including the Bagmati River Restoration Project and city green corridor development. Encroachment has also complicated Kathmandu’s efforts to improve environmental sustainability and meet regional urban livability standards.

The notice emphasizes that structures that fail to meet approved building codes, zoning limits, or land-use regulations will not be exempt. The city is preparing mapping, documentation, and joint task-force mobilization to implement the clearance drive at the end of the seven-day period.

As Kathmandu continues to expand, the issue of public land encroachment remains highly sensitive — balancing urban development, environmental protection, investment-friendly infrastructure planning, and social inclusion. Whether the latest directive leads to significant clearance or faces renewed pushback will shape the metropolitan landscape in the coming weeks.