The government has stated that the vulnerable settlements along the river banks, which are at high risk of flooding during the rainy season, have been evacuated and will be removed only after a management plan is prepared. In the case of the squatters in the remaining areas, the government has clarified that the evacuation process will not proceed until their identification and a proper management plan are prepared.

In a press note issued by Urban Development Minister Sunil Lamsal on the WhatsApp group of the government spokesperson, the families of the squatters have been asked to remain calm. ‘The government is determined to move forward with the process of vacating encroached public and government land only after identifying the real squatters and managing them safely,’ Minister Lamsal said. ‘With the onset of the rainy season, the government has launched a special campaign targeting vulnerable settlements on the banks of the Bagmati River and its tributaries in the Kathmandu Valley, which are prone to floods and inundation every year.’ 

It is reported that the evacuation of vulnerable settlements in Thapathali, Shantinagar, Gairigaun and Kageshwori Manohara municipalities has been completed since 12 Baisakh, with the safety of public property being a top priority.

According to the Local Government Operation Act, 2074, since the local level has the primary responsibility to protect public property within its area, the concerned municipality has been instructed to identify squatters and make a concrete plan for their safe management. The government's view has come out after the municipalities protested against the lack of coordination with the local level in the work of the federal government to remove squatters from encroached areas.