Delhi: Demolition drive conducted near railway line in Wazirpur to ease rail movement

A demolition drive was conducted in the Wazirpur area, particularly near the railway lines, to remove illegal encroachments as they pose a major concern to rail operations. Visuals showed JCB machines demolishing illegal structures one by one, while residents wandered around helplessly. Many have lived in the area for decades and are now struggling to find alternative housing.

Residents also protested against the demolition order, citing unfulfilled promises of alternative housing. One of the residents, Umesh Kumar, said, "I am 46 and I have been living here since I was one year old. They served notices and told us that only the portion of the roof extending beyond the boundary and obstructing railway signals would be demolished."

"But today, they are demolishing slums located 15 feet away from the railway line. Days ago, CM Rekha Gupta assured us that no slums would be demolished in any area until alternative accommodations were provided. Now we are facing so much trouble. Our appeal to the government is to provide us with alternate housing," he added. Notably, the national capital is witnessing a massive demolition drive against the illegal settlements from past couple of weeks.

On Sunday, the ongoing demolition drive at Madrasi Camp in Jangpura, South East Delhi, continued as authorities act on court orders to clear encroachments in the area along the Barapulla drain. The operation was carried out to resolve the flooding issues caused by the narrowed drain, which obstructs water flow during heavy rains.

A total of 370 encroachments have been demolished, with 189 residents deemed eligible for resettlement and allocated flats in Narela, while 181 are ineligible for resettlement. Anil Banka, District Magistrate of South East Delhi, on the ongoing demolition drive at Madrasi Camp in the Jangpura area, said, "This action is being carried out as per the court's orders, and we are removing the encroachments solely based on those directives. The Barapulla drain had become narrow, hindering its cleaning and causing issues with water flow. During heavy rains, flooding spreads across the area due to these obstructions. The matter was under consideration in court, which has now permitted us to proceed with the removal starting today. We have also allotted flats in Narela to all eligible residents affected by this drive." He further said, "Notices regarding the encroachments were already given to residents, and till now, 370 illegal encroachments have been demolished. While 189 are eligible for resettlement, 181 are not eligible for resettlement."

In order to address problems of waterlogging in Delhi, the Chief Minister had announced that the government has appointed responsible officers. Earlier, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta assured that the BJP government is committed to the development of slums in the national capital and assured that no slum in the city will be demolished. (ANI)

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