Pak Hindu refugees living besides Yamuna get demolition notice

The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has issued notices to Hindu refugees from Pakistan who live near Gurudwara Majnu Ka Tilla in the Yamuna floodplain area asking them to vacate the place, locals claimed on Wednesday.

A DDA official confirmed that it is proposed to organise a demolition drive against the encroachment on March 7 and 8 following the National Green Tribunal's order.

However, the drive has been postponed due to unavailability of police force, sources said.

Sona Das, another Pakistani Hindu refugee from Majnu Ka Tilla, said the whole camp has been informed and notices have been served to all.

"We have been given time to vacate this area as soon as possible. The whole camp has been informed and notices have been served to all of us. We just recovered from the losses we faced during the Delhi floods and now they are about to run a bulldozer here. How are people supposed to vacate in such a short notice and where are they supposed to go?" Das asked.

"We haven't been offered any alternate place, although some of them have been offered to move them to shelter homes. If they want us to vacate, they should give us an alternate option and ample time to move. My family and I moved from Pakistan to India in 2011 for some relief and now, we are facing similar problems here too," she added.

According to a public notice, which was issued on Monday, as per direction of the NGT to the DDA, the Yamuna floodplain area under the jurisdiction of the DDA should be made free from all encroachment.

'In the compliance of the order, it is proposed to organise a demolition drive against the encroachment in the Yamuna floodplain area near south of Gurudwara Majnu Ka Tilla (western bank) on March 7 and 8,' the notice stated.

The notice further stated, citing a high court order of August 2022, that the effected families can take the benefit of temporary shelter of the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) in night shelters at Gurudwara, Geeta Colony, Dwarka Sector-3, Phase-I, and Dwarka Sector-1.

'Hence, the residence of the area is hereby requested to vacant the area by Wednesday. Otherwise they will be self responsible for any loss held due to any demolition drive against the encroachment on Thursday or later,' the notice added.

Kanhaiya Lal, Pakistani Hindu refugee who resides at Majnu Ka Tilla, said, "We were informed just yesterday that demolition will take place here. Some officials came here on Tuesday and pasted notices outside our houses. Almost all of them in this area received notice on Tuesday night. Nobody vacated their houses yet."

Earlier in November 2019, the NGT while hearing the matter regarding the encroachment of the Yamuna floodplain by slum dwellers near Majnu Ka Tila Gurudwara directed the DDA and the Delhi government to clear the illegal occupation.

While hearing an application regarding the execution of its order, the NGT in an order passed on January 29 this year imposed a cost of Rs 25,000 on the DDA and directed it to submit an action taken report for removing encroachments within four weeks.

It also said the authority's vice-chairman will have to remain present before the tribunal on April 3 if the report was not submitted within the stipulated time.