NEW DELHI: The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has decided to halt the planned demolition drive in north Delhi’s Majnu Ka Tila, sources said on Friday. No immediate reasons were provided for the cancellation of the drive, initially scheduled for Saturday and Sunday.
The settlers, many of whom are Pakistani Hindu refugees, received notices late Thursday evening from the land-owning agency, instructing them to vacate the area by Friday. The notice cited compliance with orders from the National Green Tribunal and the Delhi High Court, due to encroachments on the Yamuna floodplain.
However, the people living there expressed shock over the notice and voiced their concerns. “If they demolish our homes here, people of my community [Pakistani Hindus] will have nowhere to go. We have not been provided with any alternate accommodation,” said Dharmveer Solanki, representative of the Pakistani Hindu refugee families in Delhi.
However, an official from the DDA said that the notice issued to the residents clearly specified that the affected families can avail temporary harbour at Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) shelters.
Refugee families said that they had not been given ample time to to prepare. “We have been living here for the past 10-11 years and have all the necessary documents to prove our residence,” said Dayalu, another resident.
According to the notice, the encroachment adjacent to the south of Gurdwara Majnu Ka Tila on DDA land must be removed. The notice referred to the National Green Tribunal’s April 3 order and the Delhi High Court’s March 12 order behind the move.
“The residents of the area are hereby requested to vacate the area by July 12 otherwise they will be self-responsible for any loss due to demolition drive against the encroachment on July 13 or later,” the notice stated. Several community members were recently awarded Indian citizenship under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.
DDA notice to illegal settlers
The settlers, many of whom are Pakistani Hindu refugees, received notices late Thursday evening from the land-owning agency, instructing them to vacate the area by Friday. The notice cited compliance with orders from the National Green Tribunal and the Delhi High Court, due to encroachments on the Yamuna floodplain.