Dalit and Indigenous Peoples were disproportionately impacted by the forced evictions because most people living in informal settlements belong to already marginalized groups. As narrated in the statement issued by the joint monitoring team about the devastating impacts of the forced evictions in Purano Airport Area, Dhangadhi, Bhajani and Chaukidanda, Kailali102: “The majority of those forcibly evicted are from Dalit and Tharu Indigenous communities. Among the victims are postpartum and pregnant women, school-going children, senior citizens and people with disabilities, who are being forced to endure severe mental distress and suffering, so much so that the residents were not even given a chance to secure their grains, clothing, children’s books, uniforms, bags, medicines for the sick and disabled, and important legal identification documents, all of which were reported to have been destroyed.” Homelessness was apparent at the eviction sites visited at the Purano Airport Area, Chaukidanda, and Bhajani. This is clear violation of international law, which obligates states to protect all people from evictions regardless of land tenure status and to refrain from rendering individuals homeless.103 The experiences of the 13 families forcibly evicted from the Purano Airport Area illustrate how forced evictions plunge marginalized families into deep despair and homelessness.104 Following this forced eviction, nine families were rendered homeless and forced to live in makeshift tents, lacking basic amenities and protection from harsh weather conditions. The precarious living situation of these families underscores the urgent need for sustainable housing solutions and immediate relief measures.105

the High Court of Dipayal upheld the eviction notice on the grounds that the petitioners were living on land owned by the City Development Committee, a government body, and not on land they legally possessed.170 No notice was taken of the fact that the residents had been living there for more than 20 years for various reasons including disaster-related displacement and extreme poverty. Public interest litigation pending before the Supreme Court for over four years offers a critical opportunity to clarify several legal and policy issues related to forced evictions through judicial interpretation. However, the prolonged delay in its resolution casts uncertainty over the prospect of obtaining timely and effective judicial remedies.171

although the Dhangadhi Sub-Metropolitan City alleged that “the individuals received some cash payments to remove and take away the temporary structures built in the land from the sub-metropolis thereby giving up the possession and use of the area”151, it did not specify the amount or produce documentation. The displaced people, after being rendered homeless, staged a protest by occupying the open premises of the Sub-Metropolitan Authority’s office and spending nights there.152 The demonstration exerted significant pressure on the authorities to find an alternative solution. In response, the municipal authorities agreed to compensate the families rendered homeless by the eviction for the cost of renting housing at a rate of NPR 3,000 (USD 21) per month per family for a period of three months. Each family has received a one-off payment of NPR 9,000. In addition, they committed to facilitate the process of securing landownership for the evicted families.153 Amnesty International Nepal and local partners have confirmed that this amount of financial support is wholly inadequate. In Dhangadhi, a sub-metropolitan city, the minimum rent for a single room (not a flat) is typically between NPR 3,000 and NPR 4,000, with a shared kitchen and bathroom. Furthermore, the authorities have remained silent on the promised facilitation of landownership and at the time of writing no progress had been made.154 Amidst ongoing financial hardship and in the absence of further assistance from the municipality, some affected families have been compelled to live in rented rooms inadequate for entire families, while others have sought shelter in the homes of relatives.155

151 Dhangadhi Sub-Metropolitan City, Letter No: 2081/2082, 14 July 2025. 152 Interview with Dan Bahadur Gautam, an eviction victim, 19 February 2025. 153 Dhangadhi Mayor Gopi Hamal, Facebook post: धनगढी वडा नं. १ स्स्ित पुरानो एयरपोर्ट रहेको नगर ववकासको स्वालमत्वमा रहेको जग्गा अततक्रमण भई सो अततक्रमण हर्ाई ... गररदैछ। [The land under the ownership of Urban Development in Dhangadhi Ward No. 1, where the old airport is located, has been encroached upon, and the encroachment is being removed…], 25 July 2024, https://www.facebook.com/MGopalHamal/posts 154 Interview with Dan Bahadur Gautam, an eviction victim, 19 February 2025. 155 Interview with Dan Bahadur Gautam, an eviction victim, 19 February 2025. 156 Conversation with Bina Budhacharya, Bimala Tamang, Bhagawati Adhikari and Sabitri Khadka, housing rights activists affiliated with Nepal Mahila Ekata Samaj, February 20, 2023.

170 See Bishmapati Tharuni v. Dhangadhi Sub-Metropolitan City Office, Writ Petition No. 2080-WO-0020. 171 Raju Prasad Chapagai and Others v. Government of Nepal, Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers and Others, Writ Petition No. 2077-WO-0038, scheduled final hearing on 21 May 2025. Final hearing was postponed, to be rescheduled.

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