Hundreds lose homes as bulldozers raze Delhi's Madrasi Camp slum
NEW DELHI: Residents of Madrasi Camp in south Delhi's Jungpura watched helplessly as bulldozers razed homes they had lived in for decades, leaving hundreds of working-class families displaced.
The demolition drive, conducted by civic authorities on Monday, followed a Delhi HC order that cited obstruction to drain cleaning that contributes to monsoon flooding.
'We have nowhere to go now,' said 67-year-old Lakshmi, whose family has lived in the camp for almost sixty years. 'We cannot afford to pay rent in nearby localities. If we move further away, we will lose our source of income,' she added.
Around 370 families, mostly of Tamil origin, lived in Madrasi Camp, a settlement over 60 years old. While eviction notices were served last month, only 189 families were found eligible for relocation to government-allotted flats in Narela, as per a list released on April 12. A May 30 notice informed residents that trucks would be stationed near the bridge to help transport belongings.
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