KATHMANDU: Fifty-seven-year-old Basant Majhi, currently staying at a temporary shelter in Radhaswami Satsang Ashram, says his mind still remains at the banks of the Bagmati River where he lived for two decades.
Majhi was among those displaced after the removal of structures from the Thapathali squatter settlement, where he had built a small tin-roofed shelter through years of daily wage labour and rickshaw work.
Following the eviction, Kathmandu Metropolitan City relocated 57 families to the temporary holding site, which can accommodate up to 100 families.
Recalling the initial days at the shelter, Majhi said conditions were extremely difficult. “For the first four days, we all slept packed together. Each family was given a mosquito net, but it was not enough for six members,” he said.
He added that women in the shelter had to share limited space to manage basic needs during the nights.
Majhi said the makeshift tents currently provide basic shelter and regular meals, including tea, biscuits, and rice-based food twice a day.
However, he expressed concern about losing his livelihood after the settlement was cleared. He used to earn a living transporting goods by rickshaw in the Baneshwor area, but is now unemployed.
While his wife works in domestic labor and his children are engaged in various jobs, he said the eviction has disrupted the family’s overall income.
Despite his hardship, Majhi said he is not angry about the eviction itself but wants a fair and permanent solution. “I don’t have complaints about being removed. But we should not be kept here for long. This area is also at risk of flooding,” he said, urging the government to provide land and permanent resettlement.
Majhi, originally from Jhapa and who came to Kathmandu in 2000, also recalled his political experiences, saying he had once supported leaders, including former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli.
However, he now places hope on the current leadership under PM Balen Shah, calling for promises to be fulfilled.
“If the government identifies genuine squatters and provides land soon, it will be good. Otherwise, the situation could become worse,” he said.
Majhi added that he supports the government’s reported plan to verify property ownership over generations but urged quick action for those found to be landless.
He said he has already spent six nights at the shelter and is still waiting for clear government decisions on relocation, as the temporary arrangement was initially said to last 15 days.
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