By Arpana Adhikari

Kathmandu, Sept. 27: When a rescue team led by National Centre for Children at Risk (NCCR) reached Ratnapark Wednesday mid-night, a group of under-age girls wearing flashy clothes and makeup were standing at the dark corner of the park.
Before the team could reach the place, some of the girls had fled the scene. Still, the team succeeded to rescue at least four under-aged girls, as young as 14 years old, from the site.
The girls struggled to set them free from the clutches of rescuers. The ensuing scuffle left many passersby and onlookers surprised. A girl with a black gown had got many scratches on her legs while she was struggling to escape.
The girls were loudly screaming on the vehicle and begging the officials to let them go claiming that their children were waiting them in their rooms. “They were telling lie,” said sub-inspector Suhila Raut working at the NCCR, “Look at their age! They have not even crossed 16 years and were claiming that they had kids. They were lying just to escape the detention.”
Talking to The Rising Nepal, Inspector Mohan Bikram Chand of NCCR said these minor girls were involved in flesh trade and waiting their customers when the team had arrived at Ratnapark.
The team led by NCCR, National Child Rights Council (NCRC), Nepal Police, representatives of NGOs and volunteers have lately intensified the rescue operation at Ratnapark, New Road, Basantapur, Jaisidewal, Kalimati, Durbarmarg, Kamaladi, Pulchowk and Thamel.
On Wednesday alone, 45 children, including 15 girls were rescued from various places of Kathmandu. All the children were aged between 3-18 years. Earlier on Monday, the team had rescued 28 street children from Kathmandu.
Almost every child who was rescued from the streets was found under the influence of drugs and alcohol, said Chand. “During the operation, we have seized packets of hashish, marijuana and dendrite from these children,” he added.
The team continued child rescue works till Thursday early morning under the government’s ambitious programme called, “Rescue and Rehabilitate Street Children.”
Half of the 45 children were rescued from Thamel, said Inspector Chand, adding that the most upsetting fact was that the majority of the girls rescued on Wednesday were involved in commercial sex. “More than hundred children could have been rescued on Wednesday alone but unfortunately the rainfall created obstruction in our rescue operation. The children who used to spend their nights at the particular areas have now shifted somewhere else,” he added.
Nabin Agrawal of Hidden Life Foundation Nepal said since last two weeks his team had been observing closely different places of Kathmandu.
“During our observation we found that more than 100 of children are living a vulnerable life in these places. Life on the street is riddled with various threats. Children are exposed to disease, drug abuse and sexual exploitation,” he added.
Agrawal said, “We have also suspected that some traffickers are active in the areas of Kalimati and Kalanki. We don’t have proper evidence to prove this, but this could be a big threat for street children.”
According to Chand, the rescued children have been taken to a rehabilitation center in Kathmandu. “Later on, some will be handed over to their parents following necessary counseling, while drug abusers will be kept at the rehabilitation centre and those involved in commercial sex will be kept at the shelter home run by NGOs,” he added.
Some children who were rescued on Wednesday were dropped out of the rehabilitation centres and were once reunited to the family. The dropped out children reported to have said they would love to go to jail, rather than the rehabilitation centre because the centres treated them so badly.
Ram Bahadur Chand, Spokesperson of NCRC, said, “The children lie so easily, however we accept that there are problems and we need to deal with the children to get them off the street.” “It is difficult to rehabilitate street children who mostly do not like to follow disciplined normal life and again end up on the street. But we will not give up until we take all street children to safer places.”
After the campaign was initiated on May 27, 2016, a total of 1,155 children have been rescued from the Kathmandu Valley.
Of the total 1,011 children rescued before the beginning of the current fiscal year, 587 children have been reintegrated into their families, 95 have been staying in transitional centres, 76 children are kept in socialisation centres, 47 in children’s home, 218 are under protection, 45 are living independently and 109 have already completed training. Few others are underdoing skill oriented training, he added.
The government this year has allocated Rs. 100 million for the rescue, relief, rehabilitation and protection of the children at risk. It is estimated that there are around 2,000 street children all over Nepal and 200-300 are in the Kathmandu Valley alone.
“Annually 200-300 new children end up at the streets of Kathmandu due to various circumstances,” he said.