Nepal’s Fast Track Highway Divides a Community Fighting for Land and Heritage

A highway meant to connect Nepal is tearing communities apart. For families like the Shresthas, the cost isn’t just land—it’s their identity, traditions, and future.

, and Administrator

2025 December 28 . 4:18 PM

1 min read

There are brick houses, pipes, blue gate, ladder, bicycles, red car and trees at the back.

Nepal’s Fast Track Highway Divides a Community Fighting for Land and Heritage

Plans for the Kathmandu–Terai Fast Track highway have sparked years of resistance from local communities. Residents of Khokana and Bungamati, including the Indigenous Newa people, argue the project threatens their ancestral land, homes, and cultural heritage. Despite ongoing protests and legal challenges, the government continues to push forward with construction.

The proposed highway would cut directly through Khokana, slicing across fields owned by families like Manhera Shrestha’s. Her family has farmed the same 0.3 hectares of land for generations, but the project would seize it, endangering their livelihood and home. The entry point in Khokana is planned near the sacred Shikali Temple grounds, disrupting an annual chariot procession and forcing the removal of community funeral sites.

Locals claim the government has ignored environmental and cultural concerns. An environmental impact assessment, which highlighted risks along the route, appears to have been sidelined. The highway is just one of several infrastructure projects—including an outer ring road, power lines, and a satellite city—that would reshape the area. Opposition has been fierce since 2018. The Newa community has led protests, while residents filed two writ petitions in the Supreme Court, arguing the fast-track project would destroy their ancient towns. So far, only 44% of the highway has been built, with disputes and resistance halting progress.

The highway remains stalled as legal battles and protests continue. Without resolution, the project’s future is uncertain, leaving families like the Shresthas in limbo. The outcome will determine whether Khokana and Bungamati retain their land, traditions, and way of life.