Kathmandu, Aug 21: More than 100,000 ropanis of public land in Kathmandu have been illegally occupied, mostly by influential individuals and well-known schools, according to the Kathmandu Valley Development Authority (KVDA).
Unveiling a report on Wednesday, KVDA officials said encroachment has sharply increased in recent years. Kathmandu District Commissioner Subhash Basnet noted that prominent figures and academic institutions were among those seizing government land and riverbanks. He said about 200 ropanis of land along Dhobi Khola alone have been taken over, while nearly 3,000 ropanis across riverbanks in the district have been transferred into private ownership.
Comparative studies of land records from 1964, 1987, and 1999 show a pattern of large-scale encroachment. Basnet explained that the occupied area is ten times the size of Tudikhel, stretching from Tilganga to Chobhar.
In response, KVDA has begun freezing property belonging to encroachers. For instance, it has already acted against those who grabbed land around Madhav Khola. Since March 16, the authority has blocked illegal land plotting in the capital, rejecting 1,150 applications so far.
The authority has also reminded residents that state law requires government approval for building houses, schools, commercial complexes, hospitals, and other structures. Despite this, many individuals and institutions have been constructing without permits.
KVDA has urged the public to remain cautious when buying land. Basnet warned that plots promoted by illegal real estate companies might look attractive but do not meet legal standards, putting buyers at financial risk.
The authority said its current efforts are aimed at curbing unchecked encroachment and promoting planned urban growth in Kathmandu.
People’s News Monitoring Service
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