‘Poor' rehabilitation sparks protest ahead of Delhi slum demolition
Residents of Madrasi Camp, a slum cluster in south Delhi, have staged a protest on Saturday against the demolition drive that is scheduled to begin Sunday. The protesters warned that they would resist the drive unless key demands they put forward were met.
The demolition follows a Delhi High Court's May 9 order, which directed the authorities to clear the slum cluster located along the Barapullah drain, for restoration and cleaning of the 16-kilometre-long drain. Of the 370 shanties in the area, 215 families are eligible for relocation under the 'Jahan Jhuggi Waha Makaan' rehabilitation scheme and were offered flats in Narela.
While some families have shifted to the allocated flats, 40 kilometres away from the Madrasi Camp, the others complained of a lack of amenities in the flats and the exclusion of several families from the eligibility list.
'How are we supposed to live there without electricity and water? The rooms don't have windows, and even the gates are broken,' said Muruvayi, a 60-year-old widow after visiting Narela flats.
Meanwhile, several families fear the relocation would threaten their livelihood, considering the distance between Jangpura and Narela. 'They are going to demolish our houses, so I have no option. I am tense about commuting every day from such a far-off location. I will lose both time and money,' said Prema, a domestic worker, who chose to relocate to Narela.
Initially, only 189 families were enlisted for rehabilitation, a revised list confirmed the addition of 26 more. However, these additional families are yet to be allotted flats.
Speaking to The Hindu, Kannan, a 40-year-old journalist whose family was included in the revised list, said, 'After Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board gave us an eligibility certificate, I went to Delhi Development Authority for allotment. They said the Public Works Department hasn't released funds yet.'
Some residents, who were not eligible for the rehabilitation, have moved into rented accommodations nearby. 'As they [landlords] realised houses here were to be demolished, they increased the rent from ₹8,000-₹9,000 to ₹12,000-₹13,000.'
Criticising the move, the CPI(M) accused the authorities of failing to implement the court's order. 'The order clearly said you need to provide basic amenities before shifting people. But authorities have completely failed to implement the directions of the court,' the party said in a statement.
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