Manavsewa Ashram Homeless Rescue Nepal | Chitwan Achieves Street-Dependent Human-Free Status

Chitwan Achieves Street-Dependent Human-Free Status, a historic humanitarian milestone by declaring its area street-dependent human-free. 

Bharatpur, Chitwan — Chitwan has officially declared a street-dependent human-free district in need of assistance. The milestone was achieved after all seven local municipalities within the district successfully fulfilled the criteria to be declared free of street-dependent individuals. 

The formal announcement took place on Sunday during a special program held at the Manavsewa Ashram's own building in Belchowk, Narayangadh. Bagmati Province Chief Minister Indra Bahadur Baniya served as the chief guest, reading out the official commitment letter to formalize the district's new status. 

Speaking at the event, Chief Minister Baniya emphasized that maintaining this status presents clear challenges. He stressed that all three levels of government—local, provincial, and federal—must work actively together to implement and sustain the declaration. 

According to Ramji Adhikari, Central Chairman of Manavsewa Ashram, the organization has rescued 921 vulnerable individuals from Chitwan district since its local branch became operational ten years ago. 
"During these ten years, we have rescued 857 people from Bharatpur Metropolitan City, 68 from Ratnanagar Municipality, 34 from Khairhani Municipality, 20 from Rapti Municipality, 10 from Madi Municipality, 12 from Ichchakamana Rural Municipality, and 10 from Kalika Municipality," Chairman Adhikari shared. "Our strategy was to first clear and declare each individual municipality before declaring the entire district." 

The remaining local bodies achieved the status in mid-2026: Rapti Municipality on April 17, 2026, Ratnanagar Municipality on May 21, 2026, Khairhani Municipality on May 22, 2026, and Kalika Municipality concluding the local phase on May 26, 2026. 

Neeta KC, the Chitwan branch chief of the Ashram, provided the timeline for the local declarations. Bharatpur Metropolitan City led the initiative, declaring itself street-free on November 6, 2019. Years of continued efforts followed, with Madi Municipality declaring on September 8, 2025, and Ichchakamana Rural Municipality on April 8, 2026. 

District Coordination Committee Chitwan Chief, Narayan Prasad Adhikari, concluded the event by reiterating that no homeless or mentally disturbed individuals should be left abandoned on the streets without care, urging continuous community vigilance to support the Ashram's mission. 

Chitwan has become the second district in Nepal to be declared free of street-dependent people, following a similar declaration in Makawanpur district. This milestone is part of a broader campaign initiated by the Manavsewa Ashram, which began its rescue and care work in Hetauda, Makawanpur, August 29, 2012. Over its 13 years of operation, the Ashram has expanded to 34 branches across 33 districts, rescuing an average of three people daily. To date, the organization has rescued 13,587 street-dependent individuals nationwide, with the goal of making the entire country free of street dependency by the year 2026 AD. 

The campaign focuses on individuals who have no family or resources, live and sleep on the streets, and often suffer from mental health issues. Currently, the Chitwan branch of Manavsewa Ashram shelters 154 individuals, including 75 women, 73 men, and 6 children. Ramji Adhikari, Chairman of the Ashram, highlighted the steady progress of these rescue operations during the declaration event. 

Local leaders and administrators have pledged their full support to sustain this initiative. Chief District Officer Ganesh Aryal noted that teams are actively patrolling the market streets night after night to rescue those in need. Furthermore, commitment to enforcing the declaration was expressed by Acting Mayor of Bharatpur Metropolitan City Chitrasen Adhikari—who acknowledged the challenges ahead—alongside Mayor of Kalika Municipality Binod Regmi, Mayor of Ichchakamana Dan Bahadur Gurung, Mayor of Khairhani Shashi Khaniya, and Mayor of Madi Tara Kumari Kaji Mahato.