The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) is working on a plan to undertake a demolition drive at Majnu Ka Tilla on the Yamuna floodplains, home to hundreds of Pakistani Hindu refugees. This was after a similar drive – slated for July 15 and 16 – was deferred due to the police citing inability to depute personnel as the Kanwar Yatra was in progress.
In a status report submitted to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Wednesday, the DDA said the demolition drive is being planned again. “The concerned officials and competent authority are in the process of re-planning and rescheduling the demolition programme, in coordination with Delhi Police and/or any other stakeholders, so as to ensure compliance with the orders of this hon’ble Tribunal and to facilitate ecological restoration of the Yamuna floodplains,” the report noted.
The drive was delayed after the Deputy Commissioner of Police (North) wrote to the DDA on July 14 stating that due to the ongoing Kanwar Yatra, “adequate police protection for the demolition drive could not be provided on the scheduled dates”. The letter recommended a joint survey and a meeting with stakeholders to assess the situation before proceeding with the drive.
After the conclusion of the Kanwar Yatra on July 23, the DDA had asked the police to propose a suitable date and time for a joint site inspection. “…the DDA proposes to organise a joint site inspection… to assess the ground situation and plan the demolition operation in a structured, coordinated, and secure manner,” it wrote.
The demolition drive comes on the heels of multiple court orders directNational Green Tribunal (NGT)ing the removal of encroachments from the Yamuna floodplains.
This story was originally published in indianexpress.com. Read the full story here.
