DDA again plans demolition drive at Majnu Ka Tilla
In a status report submitted to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Wednesday, the DDA said the demolition drive is being planned again. 'The concerned officials and competent authority are in the process of re-planning and rescheduling the demolition programme, in coordination with Delhi Police and/or any other stakeholders, so as to ensure compliance with the orders of this hon'ble Tribunal and to facilitate ecological restoration of the Yamuna floodplains,' the report noted.
The drive was delayed after the Deputy Commissioner of Police (North) wrote to the DDA on July 14 stating that due to the ongoing Kanwar Yatra, 'adequate police protection for the demolition drive could not be provided on the scheduled dates'. The letter recommended a joint survey and a meeting with stakeholders to assess the situation before proceeding with the drive.
After the conclusion of the Kanwar Yatra on July 23, the DDA had asked the police to propose a suitable date and time for a joint site inspection. '…the DDA proposes to organise a joint site inspection… to assess the ground situation and plan the demolition operation in a structured, coordinated, and secure manner,' it wrote.
The demolition drive comes on the heels of multiple court orders directing the removal of encroachments from the Yamuna floodplains.
On May 30, the Delhi High Court had dismissed a plea seeking protection for the refugee camp. It had ruled that the Pakistani Hindu refugees living there 'have no legal right to continue to occupy the area in question – the Yamuna floodplains at Majnu Ka Tilla'.
It had added that safeguarding the floodplains was essential, 'not only from an environmental standpoint but also in compliance with the categorical and consistent directions of the Supreme Court, the NGT, as well as the hon'ble High Court.'
Following this, the DDA had issued a public notice on July 14 asking residents to vacate the area the same day, warning that 'they will be self-responsible for any loss due to demolition drive' scheduled for July 15 and 16.
In a recent order, the HC had observed, 'Even Indian citizens cannot claim alternate allotment as an absolute right, particularly in cases where the land they occupy falls under specially prohibited areas like Zone 'O' of Delhi.' Zone O primarily refers to the floodplain of the Yamuna.
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