Abandoned Villages on Kathmandu’s Outskirts: A Tale of Urban Migration (Photos)

Nepal Views

Kathmandu: Nepal’s population is increasingly shifting downhill from villages and uphill toward cities. The urban pull has led to an urban-centric population pattern, while villages are gradually becoming empty.

The National Statistics Office recently published a report on urbanization and development in Nepal, revealing a sharp increase in population in urban areas compared to rural ones.

Between 2068 Bikram Sambat (2011 AD) and 2078 BS (2021 AD), the rural population decreased from 82% to 33.8%, while the urban population rose from 17.1% to 66.2%, according to the report.

The saying “development went uphill, people went downhill” perfectly describes the condition of villages like Sangla in Tarkeshwor Municipality-1 and Dulal Gaun in Tokha Municipality-1 in the Kathmandu Valley.

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The outmigration has been so severe that even close-knit families in these villages are scattered. In these once-thriving hill villages of the Valley, many homes now lie abandoned and in ruins, with weeds growing in courtyards. Though a few families still live there, much of the cultural essence has faded.

The 2072 BS (2015 AD) earthquake destroyed traditional and historic homes, and many residents left the village altogether.

Resident Dipendra Dulal of Dulal Gaun shared, ‘Before the earthquake, there were around 120 households here. But afterward, most homes were left empty. Many people sold their farmland and built homes right on that land. Some built large cemented houses in the village itself. Now, only 5 to 7 houses are inhabited. People from as far as Nuwakot and Kalikot live here on rent.’

Despite being part of Kathmandu, the area once felt rural and remote. Now, it has electricity, roads, and infrastructure. Ram Prasad Dhakal of Sangla Salle Gaun remembers, ‘We used to walk all the way to Tokha to get straw for cattle and daily essentials.’

‘Even though we now have roads and facilities,’ Dhakal said, ‘there are no people left in the village.’ He added that many sold fertile paddy land that once yielded 40–50 muris (approx. 2,000–2,500 kg) of rice per year, just to build homes. ‘I too sold 7 aana (around 2,400 sq. ft.) to build my house,’ said Dhakal.

Rudra Sapkota from Sangla Sapkota Gaun added, ‘All the land you see with buildings and plots now was once farmland.’