NEW DELHI : Authorities conducted a demolition drive at Khyber Pass near Civil Lines on Saturday and several temporary structures, illegally erected on properties owned by the Land and Development Office, were demolished, said police.
Children of Kavita, another resident, were yet to return from school, when her house was razed. “Our family is living here for long time. We received a notice around five to six months ago that the demolition will take place. Several kids here go to schools. Where will we take them now,” she said.
Sunita, resident of the area, said, “We have been living here for several decades. We have no other place to go. We want a house where we can live.”
However, sources said the Delhi Development Authority’s (DDA) demolition drive on the Yamuna flood plain near the Majnu Ka Tila gurdwara has been postponed.
Several families of Pakistani Hindu refugees have been staying at Majnu Ka Tila for over 10 years. Recently, a few of them received Indian citizenship under the recently notified Citizenship (Amendment) Act.
Dharamveer Solanki, a Pakistani refugee residing in the Majnu Ka Tila area, reported that the demolition team had yet to reach his locality. “The DDA has begun the demolition near the Vidhan Sabha area, but they haven’t arrived at Majnu ka Tila,” Solanki said.
Earlier this week, the DDA announced a planned demolition for July 13 and 14 through a public notice. Residents of Majnu Ka Tila received notifications late on Thursday ordering them to vacate by Friday.
The notice cited orders from the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on April 3 and the Delhi High Court on March 12 as the basis for the action. “In compliance with the order, a demolition drive against encroachment on the Yamuna floodplain near the south of Gurudwara Majnu Ka Tila (Western Bank) is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday,” the DDA notice read.
The notice also mentioned that affected families could seek temporary shelter at facilities the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board provided. “Residents are urged to vacate the area by July 12, as any loss due to the demolition drive on July 13 or later will be their responsibility,” it stated.
The NGT, in its April 3 order, criticised the DDA for not taking substantial steps to remove encroachments from the area. The tribunal directed the agency to submit a compliance report at least one week before the next hearing, scheduled for July 15. According to the tribunal, the temporary structures were illegally constructed in the Yamuna Flood Plain zone.
Demolition ‘postponed’ in Majnu Ka Tila
At Majnu Ka Tila, an area housing over 170 Hindu refugee families from Pakistan, the demolition drive to raze illegal structures slated for July 13 and 14 by the DDA has been deferred for unknown reasons, sources said. Residents of the area received notice regarding the demolition on Thursday and expressed concern over the last-minute eviction. Authorities said shelter homes will be provided to those living in illegal structures. However, settlers claim to have received no such assurance.