Massive land plotting activities are underway at Ghising Danda in Ratamate, Kankrabari, Suryabinayak Municipality–9 of Bhaktapur, putting at risk the area’s natural landscape, irrigation canals, public roads, small settlements, community lands, and forest areas. The destruction has alarmed locals, especially as natural springs within the lush community forest have started drying up.

For the past month, over two dozen bulldozers have been aggressively clearing the area, but local authorities—including the municipal government, Division Forest Office, and other concerned district agencies—appear to be unaware or inactive. Approximately 535 ropanis of hillside land have already been leveled and cleared. The work is being carried out by Nik Bhujikik Housing Pvt Ltd, which claims it is for housing development purposes.

Following local complaints, a joint field inspection led by Bhaktapur’s Chief District Officer Gopal Prasad Aryal took place a couple of weeks ago. The team included senior officials from the Bhaktapur District Police, Armed Police Force in Duwakot, Survey Office, Kathmandu Valley Development Authority (Bhaktapur Branch), Division Forest Office, the Chief Administrative Officer of Suryabinayak Municipality, and the ward chairperson. They instructed the company to immediately halt all activities. However, the housing company appears to have ignored the directive.

According to locals, forested areas, water sources, traditional public rest stops (patis), canals, roads, pipelines, and streams have been destroyed in the name of plotting. Six houses, located in a high-risk zone, have already been demolished, and their residents relocated. Ward Chairperson Bhagawan Khatri of Suryabinayak Municipality-9 stated that the plotting has encroached upon 12 ropanis of public land and 19 ropanis of forest area.

The municipality had received an application from the company seeking permission to level land, but no official approval had been granted. “They carried out major construction activities under the guise of site clearance without getting approval. Entire settlements have been removed, and we are shocked. No further work will be allowed,” said Taranath Luintel, then municipality’s Chief Administrative Officer.

Saphal Shrestha, head of the Bhaktapur branch of the Kathmandu Valley Development Authority, clarified that any planning involving over 50 ropanis of land requires central-level approval from the authority, which had not been sought. Hence, the district office was unaware of the project. Dinesh Thapa Magar from the Division Forest Office reported that although the Survey Office had previously identified forest boundaries, bulldozers had entered approximately 19 ropanis of forest land, destroying several pine trees in the process.