NEW DELHI – Homes of over 400 families in the Madrasi Camp jhuggi cluster in Jangpura-B, one of Delhi’s oldest informal settlements, face imminent demolition despite legal protections and an ongoing court case.
Madrasi Camp, located near the Barapullah Drain in Southeast Delhi, has existed for over six decades and is officially listed as a notified basti under the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB). As per the NCT of Delhi Special Provisions Act, 2011, such settlements cannot be demolished without an alternate housing being provided.
The Delhi State Committee of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has condemned the proposed eviction as “inhumane, illegal, and politically motivated”, demanding an immediate halt to the move until proper rehabilitation is ensured.
The Delhi State Committee, general secretary, Anurag Saxena, along with other party leaders and activists, addressed a news conference to highlight the issue. They said the authorities have issued demolition notices to the residents of the colony without completing the process of verifying rehabilitation eligibility.
“Despite having valid documents, nearly one-third of the households have been arbitrarily denied rehabilitation,” Saxena said. “Those declared ‘eligible’ are being relocated to Narela, nearly 50 kilometres away, which violates existing resettlement policy.”
The Delhi Slum and JJ Rehabilitation and Relocation Policy, 2015, mandates that displaced residents must be offered housing either in situ or within a 5 km radius. Exceptions beyond this distance require special board approval. No such exception has been granted in this case, according to him.
A case on the matter is pending before the Delhi High Court, but residents say they continue to receive eviction notices. On October 5, 2024, the Irrigation and Flood Control Department submitted a report claiming the settlement obstructs the Barapullah Drain. In contrast, a fact-finding mission led by engineers from IIT Delhi and IIT Bombay found that nearby bridges and flyovers were the primary cause of drainage issues, not the slum itself.
This story was originally published in clarionindia.net. Read the full story here.
