New demolition notices cause panic in Delhi’s Okhla
New Delhi: A fresh wave of fear has spread across the Batla House area in Okhla after the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) pasted new notices ordering the removal of thousands of slums near the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway.
According to Kashmir Media Service, residents, many of whom have been living in these settlements for over two decades, now face the threat of being left homeless within just a few days.
The notices, which appeared over the weekend, direct all occupants to vacate their homes by 17 July. If they fail to do so, a demolition drive is scheduled to begin on July 18 and continue on July 19.
“I have been living here for 21 years. I collect garbage to feed my children. If they destroy our homes, where will we go?” asked Abdul, a resident of the slum cluster, holding the notice in his hand. His voice trembled with worry. “We are poor, but we are not criminals. Don’t treat us like this.”
Most residents said they had no prior information about any plan to remove them. “No one came to speak to us before this. One day, they just pasted these notices. That too on a Sunday when government offices are closed,” said Sabira, a widow and mother of four. “Are we not citizens of this country?”
She pointed to the tin-roofed shanty she called home. “This may be small, but it is everything we have. If they destroy it, we will sleep on the road.” KMS—9A
