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Business Standard
2 days ago
- General
- Business Standard
Delhi slums razed, employers ask domestic help: 'Why didn't you show up?'
A demolition drive was carried out on Sunday at Madrasi Camp, a six-decade-old settlement in South Delhi's Jangpura, as part of the Delhi High Court's directive under the Barapullah Drain Decongestion Project. The civic initiative seeks to mitigate flooding and waterlogging in South and Central Delhi during the monsoon. The Jhuggi cluster housed more than 400 working-class families. Several dwellers of the unauthorised colony, inhabited mostly by people from Tamil Nadu, had opposed the demolition. Over 150 families left without rehabilitation The demolition razed 370 homes. While 215 families were allotted rehabilitation flats in Narela's Pocket 4 and 5—over 35 kilometres away on Delhi's northern edge—155 families were declared ineligible for resettlement. 'Why didn't you come to work?' Among those affected is 38-year-old Pushpa, a domestic worker who lived in Madrasi Camp. As the razing began, she scrambled to save her belongings while fielding repeated calls from her employer in Jangpura asking, 'Why didn't you come to work?' Pushpa told India Today that she avoided taking any leave for a month and a half, anticipating trouble due to the ongoing court case and wanting to save her leave for later. Despite this, she continued receiving calls from the households she worked for. Encroachment on Barapullah drain The Barapullah drain, a crucial stormwater channel stretching from Lajpat Nagar to Sarai Kale Khan and into the Yamuna, has long suffered from reduced flow due to encroachment. The Delhi High Court had noted that Madrasi Camp was an 'unauthorised construction/ encroachment' that had led to the obstruction and blockage of the Barapullah drain, 'causing significant waterlogging in the surrounding areas, especially during the monsoon'. People's livelihoods in jeopardy Relocation to Narela has created serious concern for residents, especially women who rely on domestic work in South Delhi. The move threatens their primary means of income. Around 200 children from the camp attend a Tamil government-aided school near Barapullah, and their school admissions are now uncertain. Following demolition notices, residents had approached the Delhi High Court seeking relief. On May 9, all the pleas filed by the residents were disposed of by the Delhi High Court, which ordered the commencement of demolition at Madrasi Camp from June 1. The Tamil Nadu government announced that it would assist affected residents wishing to return to their home districts if they chose to do so. State officials promised support through local district Collectors, including help with resettlement and livelihoods. The Tamil Nadu House in New Delhi has been tasked with outreach.
India Gazette
2 days ago
- Politics
- India Gazette
Tamil Nadu govt offers aid to Madrasi Camp residents after Delhi demolition, Tamilians demand jobs
New Delhi [India] June 2 (ANI): The Tamil Nadu government has announced comprehensive support for residents of Madrasi Camp in Delhi's Jangpura, who wish to return to their native districts in Tamil Nadu following a demolition drive on June 1. The demolition, carried out to clear illegal encroachments along the Barapullah drain as per a Delhi High Court order, has displaced hundreds of families, predominantly of Tamil Nadu origin. The state government has pledged assistance for livelihood and other essential needs, with coordination facilitated through the Tamil Nadu House in New Delhi and district collectors. Mani, a Tamil resident affected by the demolition, expressed frustration over the lack of opportunities in Tamil Nadu, stating, 'They should give jobs to those already in Madras right now, and then they should call us. Why are people roaming around there? First, they should handle Tamil Nadu, then they should look at Delhi. If they had given us jobs, why would we have come to Delhi from Tamil Nadu?' On Sunday, the demolition drive at Madrasi Camp in Jangpura, South East Delhi, was carried out as authorities acted on court orders to clear encroachments 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 until now, 370 illegal encroachments have been demolished. While 189 are eligible for resettlement, 181 are not eligible.' (ANI)
Indian Express
3 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Tamil Nadu pledges support to residents as Delhi's ‘Madrasi Camp' faces demolition
As a court-ordered demolition drive began tearing through the narrow lanes of Delhi's 'Madrasi Camp' on Sunday, the Tamil Nadu government issued a statement promising support to the hundreds of Tamil-origin families facing eviction from the decades-old settlement near Nizamuddin Railway Station. In a statement issued from Chennai, the state government said the Tamil Nadu House in New Delhi has been tasked with actively facilitating and overseeing coordination efforts. 'Reaffirming its unwavering commitment to the welfare of persons of Tamil Nadu origin residing outside the state, the government of Tamil Nadu is in active coordination with the residents of 'Madrasi Camp' to ensure that every possible support is extended to them without delay,' a state government statement said. The statement came hours after the Delhi High Court's May 9 order came into effect, triggering the demolition of 370 slum homes constructed over the Barapullah drain. The court had declared the settlement an unauthorised encroachment, citing its role in obstructing drainage and causing severe monsoon water logging in surrounding areas. Dating back over six decades, the settlement, also known as 'Madrasi Basti', has been a vibrant enclave of Tamil-speaking migrants who arrived in Delhi seeking work as domestic help, cooks, and daily-wage labourers in affluent neighbourhoods like Jangpura, Bhogal, and Lajpat Nagar. Though humble in its infrastructure, the camp evolved into a tightly woven community, maintaining its Tamil culture and language through local festivals, political engagement, and Tamil-medium schools. Built on land owned by the Railways, 'Madrasi Camp' has long stood as a symbol of the Tamil working-class diaspora in Delhi. Residents also kept political ties alive with their home state, participating in Tamil Nadu elections and maintaining close contact with their roots. However, the recent court order found that of the 370 households in the camp, only 215 were eligible for relocation under the provisions of the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) Act and the Delhi Slum and JJ Rehabilitation and Relocation Policy, 2015. These families have been allotted flats in Narela, a northern suburb over 35 kilometres from the camp. The remaining 155 families — those who failed to meet documentation or eligibility criteria — are now left to fend for themselves, without formal resettlement or rehabilitation. According to a directive of the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, the state government will assist the residents of 'Madrasi Camp' who choose to return to their native districts in Tamil Nadu. Comprehensive support, including assistance for livelihood and other essential needs, will be extended to them, the official statement said. 'This assistance will be facilitated through the offices of the concerned District Collectors to ensure timely and effective implementation,' it said. Officers at the Tamil Nadu House in New Delhi will be coordinating efforts to provide on-ground support to those who wish to return to Tamil Nadu.
New Indian Express
3 days ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Tamil Nadu government offers support to families in Delhi's Madrasi Camp who wish to return to their native districts
The Tamil Nadu House in New Delhi has been tasked with actively facilitating and overseeing coordination efforts. 'Reaffirming its unwavering commitment to the welfare of persons of Tamil Nadu origin residing outside the State, the Tamil Nadu government is in active coordination with the residents of Madrasi Camp to ensure that every possible support is extended to them without any delay,' the release added. The Madrasi Camp is a settlement comprising 370 slum dwellings and is predominantly inhabited by persons of Tamil Nadu origin. The Delhi HC directed that eligible residents be rehabilitated and relocated under the provisions of the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) Act and the Delhi Slum & JJ Rehabilitation and Relocation Policy, 2015. The Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board has determined that 215 out of the 370 residents are eligible for allotment. Accordingly, these eligible beneficiaries have been allotted residential units under the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) category of the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) located in Narela, Delhi. Furthermore, all legal petitions filed by the residents of Madrasi Camp have been adjudicated and disposed of by the Delhi HC on May 9, and the order mandated the commencement of demolition activities at Madrasi Camp on June 1. All legal avenues available to the residents of Madrasi Camp for retaining the unauthorised constructions at the site have been duly exhausted.
