Urban News

In a massive demolition drive that began on Monday, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) started razing over 500 ‘illegal’ structures in Vasant Kunj and Jaithpur village. The drive is likely to continue till Friday.

DDA’s Land Management Commissioner Rajesh Prasad said any structure raised in these two areas after February 7, 2007, and not protected under the Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Act, 2007, will face demolition.

As per the Act, any structure raised in an unauthorised colony after the date will not be regularised, even if the rest of the colony may have received a provisional regularisation certificate.

“Since these structures fall in the development area, the DDA is duty bound to raze them. We also have to submit an action taken report on the same in the Delhi High Court,” Prasad said.

In areas that do not fall under the development area, but have illegal structures, the MCD is responsible for demolition.

The demolition drive began simultaneously in the afternoon at both locations. When Newsline visited the unauthorised colony behind the Spinal Injuries Centre at Vasant Kunj, the demolition drive was underway and bulldozers were operating at three different locations. Residents of the area were unclear about the nature of the operation and said they were unaware about the demolition. DDA officials, however, said notices had been sent to those who were earmarked for demolition, and the order was passed only after a public hearing. 

“I did not receive any notice, and if this is an illegal colony then why did the DDA allow us to construct here in the first place? Even today, land is freely bought and sold in this colony, so how can it claim this space is illegal?” asked a resident.

The colony was surrounded by the police personnel who accompanied the DDA officials to ensure that the demolition was conducted peacefully.

At Jaithpur, a large village on the banks of the Yamuna, in Badarpur, the situation quickly deteriorated as residents tried to block DDA’s bulldozers from entering the colony. But the bulldozers easily pushed aside the cars and the motorcycles that were parked in its path and carried out the demolition. As residents collected in large numbers and started pelting the officials with stones, the police tried to disperse them with tear gas shells. 

“We have managed to clear 25 bighas of land, and demolish three major structures today despite protests by the residents. There are over 300 illegal structures in Jaithpur,” said Air Commodore Arora (retd), Officer on Special Duty to DDA’s Land Management Department.   DDA officials said that once the structures have been razed, steps would be taken to ensure that the land is not encroached on again. “Officials will be made responsible for periodical checks in these areas,” an official said. In Vasant Kunj, the DDA hopes to use the land to develop Vasant Kunj phase IV, whereas in Jaithpur construction is not allowed because the land is part of the Yamuna plains.