Pokhara, April 14 -- Manju Thapa, a resident of Khapaudi in ward 18 of Pokhara Metropolitan City, was jolted awake in the early hours on April 4 by a telephone call. While she was asleep with her two sons, her cell phone rang at 5:15 am, warning her that bulldozers were already descending upon the shores of Phewa Lake to demolish structures. By the time she rushed outside, an excavator was tearing Palm Beach Restaurant, located a stone's throw from her home.

"When you wake up and see a working bulldozer right in front of you, it feels like a nightmare. The neighbours were still asleep. My husband, our two sons, and I ran out, crying for help, trying to wake up the community," Thapa said, recalling that Saturday morning.

Until then, Thap...