The Supreme Court of Nepal has issued a show-cause order in response to a writ petition filed against the move to clear settlements built along riverbanks and public spaces in Kathmandu.
A single bench of Justice Shanti Singh Thapa issued the order on April 27, directing the District Administration Office Kathmandu and the Kathmandu Metropolitan City to submit written explanations.
According to Supreme Court spokesperson Arjun Prasad Koirala, the Court has also ordered both parties to appear for a hearing on May 5.
A total of 11 individuals, including Gopal Rana Pahli, had filed the writ petition on April 24 against the planned eviction of squatter settlements.
The petition was filed in response to notices issued by the District Administration Office and Kathmandu Metropolitan City to clear squatter settlements along riverbanks in Kathmandu. It demands that no family be evicted, displaced, or subjected to any form of forced action without first identifying and verifying landless families and ensuring proper alternative arrangements for them, both within the Kathmandu Valley and across the country.