In May 2012, the Thapathali slum in Kathmandu was destroyed by the Nepalese Government, leaving hundreds of children and adults in despair on the banks of the Bagmati River. Five bulldozers, sent by the Department of Urban Development, tore down over 250 houses. The settlement was inhabited by over 1,200 people called the "Sukumbasi", the landless of Nepal. Most of them sought no compensation and had no choice other than to stay in the same area, living under tarpaulins. One year later, the situation of most of the families remains unchanged and other slums in Kathmandu are threatened with destruction.
