Hundreds of squatters who are suffering from displacement are still waiting for permanent management. After the government announced that the distribution of red papers will start from the third week of Ashad, their hope has risen, but the cramped accommodation of the holding center, lack of suitable food for children and delay in relief distribution have made daily life even more difficult.

Smriti Majhi, 45, was standing in line at Dasharath Stadium for digital verification on Wednesday. She had received a message on her mobile phone two days ago asking her to come to Dasharath Stadium for digital registration.

After the government demolished the squatter settlement in Shantinagar on April 12, she was left with no shelter. That same day, she found a tent near Shantinagar. 'We had a lot of stuff, we couldn't even take it to a hotel.' On the same day, after getting a room in an acquaintance's house, we, a family of three (including husband and son), stayed in a tent instead of going to a hotel,' said Smriti, who was met at the stadium.

On the first day, Smriti had reached the stadium with her husband to register her name. After that, they were not aware of the process the government was taking to manage the squatters. 'We work hard, Kathmandu is expensive. The government should have managed it soon,' she says.

From Tuesday, the government had resumed digital verification of the displaced squatters living outside the holding center. Earlier, only initial registration was done at the Dasharath Stadium, so now data collection has been started for detailed details, informed Anand Singh Bhat, working committee chairman of the empowered Bagmati Civilization Integrated Development Committee. The committee had earlier obtained digital verification of 1,488 people from 388 families dependent on the holding center out of 2,688 displaced families. ‘This is not the registration of any new people, but only the re-registration of those who were already registered but were living outside the holding center,’ said Bhat.

According to Khagendra Bista, a sociologist with the powerful Bagmati Civilization Integrated Development Committee, 148 people outside the holding center appeared for digital registration on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The government had initially decided to provide a lump sum of Rs 25,000 as relief to the unorganized settlers who were verified and found eligible. In addition, they were told that they would receive rent for three months at the rate of Rs 15,000 per month until they settle their affairs. Smriti has no information about this. The government has not even asked them for a bank account. Even though those living in the holding center have given their bank account numbers, they do not know when the money will arrive. ‘We have given the bank account number. It has been said that it will arrive.’ But not yet,' said Girwanika Thapa, who lives at the Radhaswamy Satsang Holding Center in Kirtipur. According to Bhat, the work of distributing relief has not yet begun. However, he said that the government has already decided on this and the necessary amount is being released. 'Those staying in the holding center will probably receive the relief money within the next 8-10 days,' Bhat said, 'After that, those who are currently living outside and those who are found eligible by the committee will receive relief.'

Minister for Land Management, Cooperatives, Federal Affairs and General Administration Pratibha Rawal had told the House of Representatives on Wednesday that the distribution of land titles to squatters will start from the third week of Ashad. The displaced squatters are demanding that they be managed as soon as possible. 'It would have been better if we were managed as soon as possible.' Who wants to live in such misery, says Thapa, who is at the Kirtipur Holding Center. After Minister Rawal's statement, hope has risen among the squatters.

The government had designated holding centers in 7 places in Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Kavre, where the land titles will be distributed to the squatters from the third week of Ashar. There are 294 people from 87 houses in Machhapokhari Lodge in Balaju, 277 people from 65 houses in Radhaswamy Ashram Kirtipur, and 355 people from 99 houses in the Electricity Training Center in Kharipati, Bhaktapur. There are 115 people from 24 houses in the Agricultural Training Center in Bode, Bhaktapur, 80 people from 21 houses in the Drinking Water Training Center in Nagarkot, 195 people from 45 houses in the Red Cross in Banepa, and 172 people from 47 houses in the Ichangunarayan Apartment. But the squatters are hungry in the holding center.

Recently, some of the complaints of those living in the holding center are about the food managed by the government. When food did not arrive at the Kirtipur holding center until Monday afternoon, they had to go hungry. Children who were supposed to go to school were forced to skip school because they did not receive food. Currently, the Shanti Sewa Griha in Kirtipur is providing regular food. But for young children, the food is of poor quality and does not contain enough protein. Those living in the holding center complain that the food that comes is not good for children. They have to ask for gas kept for pregnant women and cook it themselves, said Griwanika Thapa. "You cannot bring the protein (fish, meat, eggs) that a young child needs here." We are feeding them porridge by mixing lentils and rice with 'city'.'

She also said that small children are falling ill due to the cold environment of the center and lack of proper food. She said that a 6-month-old baby there had to be admitted to the ICU due to cold and food problems.

Chandrakala VK, who lives in the Kirtipur Holding Center, also said that the food here has not been good for her 11-month-old son. 'Nowadays, food is cooked from outside and brought in on a plate and distributed here.' For adults, food is being arranged as much as possible, but for small children, there are many problems,' she said. 'The hospital has asked my son to be fed nutritious food because the child has low blood pressure, but I do not have a gas stove to cook porridge and I do not have the money to buy it.'

Earlier, she used to cook rice in the stove there while the Metropolitan Municipality cooked food. But now there is no stove. Chandrakala complains that both her son and 5-year-old daughter have problems with coughing and wheezing due to the food and accommodation. ‘When it rains in the tent, water gets inside and it gets very stuffy because there is no air. We could have been arranged in a better place soon,’ she says.

Kumari Lama, who is staying at the holding center in Banepa, also says that there is no separate arrangement for food for small children. ‘They are forced to eat ordinary food like adults. The food served in the camp is not good for children. Sometimes I bring fish, meat or eggs from the hotel myself and feed my 3-year-old grandson,’ she says.