Kathmandu: The Kathmandu Valley Development Authority (KVDA) has revealed that influential individuals and even well-known schools are directly involved in the encroachment of public and riverbank land in the Valley.
Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, Kathmandu District Commissioner Subhash Basnet said investigations have shown that high-profile figures and reputable institutions have illegally occupied public land.
According to Basnet, at least 100,000 ropani (12571.16 acres) of land has been encroached upon in Kathmandu Valley. He said studies of cadastral surveys from 1964, 1987, and 1999 show that as much as 200 ropani of land along Dhobikhola alone has been illegally seized. Across three survey periods, more than 3,000 ropani (377.13 acres) of riverbank land was found encroached and later registered under individual ownership.
“From Tilganga to Chobhar, an area equal to 10 Tundikhels has been encroached. And this was not done by squatters but by powerful people, famous schools, and individuals one would never imagine,” Basnet said.
The KVDA has already initiated the process of freezing the properties of those found guilty of encroachment, Basnet informed. He stressed that the authority has the legal right to freeze assets in such cases. For instance, properties of those who had encroached on public land along Madhavkhola and fenced them into private compounds have already been frozen.
Basnet also disclosed that since March 16, the authority has halted illegal plotting of land. So far, 1,150 illegal land plots have been blocked.
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