KATHMANDU, JANUARY 21, 2026 – The Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) has launched a stringent new enforcement drive aimed at clearing the city’s sidewalks of unauthorized businesses, resulting in the arrest of 30 street vendors over the past 48 hours. The operation, led by the Kathmandu Municipal Police, targeted major commercial hubs including New Road, Sundhara, Ratnapark, and Baneshwor, as part of the city’s ongoing initiative to ensure pedestrian rights and manage urban congestion.
The crackdown follows an official notice issued by the KMC earlier this week, which reiterated a total ban on street vending without prior legal authorization. According to Municipal Police Chief Rajunath Pandey, the individuals were taken into custody after repeatedly ignoring warnings to vacate public footpaths. “Our priority is to return the sidewalks to the pedestrians,” Pandey stated. “Despite continuous requests, these vendors were found obstructing the free movement of citizens and creating significant traffic bottlenecks. The 30 arrested individuals have been detained for administrative action.”
Under the current regulations, those found conducting business on the streets without a permit face immediate confiscation of their goods and bicycles/carts. Unlike previous years where goods were returned after a fine, the KMC has now adopted a policy of auctioning confiscated items to discourage repeat offenders. The city administration has cited the Local Government Operation Act, 2017, and the Solid Waste Management Act as the legal basis for these arrests and seizures. The move is also intended to beautify the city ahead of the peak tourist season in the spring of 2026.
The enforcement has sparked a wave of both support and criticism. While pedestrians and many local shopkeepers have welcomed the “clearer and cleaner” streets, street vendor unions have called the move “inhumane.” A spokesperson for the Nepal Street Vendor Trade Union stated that the arrests are a direct attack on the livelihoods of the urban poor who have no alternative space to sell their goods. “We are not against management, but we are against eviction without an alternative,” the spokesperson said, noting that thousands of families depend on these small-scale sales for survival.
Despite the protests, the KMC office, currently under the leadership of Acting Mayor Sunita Dangol (following the resignation of Balen Shah to contest the general elections), has indicated that the enforcement will continue indefinitely. The city has also mobilized additional teams to monitor the streets during the evening hours, from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM, when sidewalk encroachment is typically at its highest. Residents have been urged to report any unauthorized use of public land to the KMC’s dedicated hotline.