The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) demolished settlements in Delhi's Yamuna Bazar area on Thursday, leaving around 100 families who depend on the Yamuna River for their livelihoods homeless and uncertain about their future. The demolition targeted structures between Ghat No. 2 and 32 on the protected Yamuna floodplain, known as the O-Zone, after issuing notices on June 23 asking residents to vacate voluntarily.
Boatmen Left with Nothing
Sudhakar Kumar Nishadraj, a boatman operating near Ghat No. 9, said he had been watching since six in the morning as bulldozers moved in. Officials had warned them two days earlier that everything must be removed by June 25. "We had seen it coming," he said, resignation in his voice. "Where do we go now?"
Nishadraj explained that around 100 families whose lives depend on ferry services and religious rites on the Yamuna have been affected, including eight or nine families who have worked on the river for generations. "My family has been doing this since my grandfather's grandfather. We have documents showing we go back nearly 150 years. We belong to the Nishad community. In the Ramayana, Nishadraj helped Lord Ram, Sita and Lakshman cross the river. We consider ourselves descendants of that lineage, and this river has been our life," he said.
Besides ferrying people and pilgrims across the Yamuna and helping families immerse the ashes of their loved ones, Nishadraj also cultivated a small patch of land along the riverbank to supplement his income. "Now I have nothing. I have three children. My daughter and elder son are in first year of college, and my younger son is in Class 12. I don't know how I will pay their fees, or even support my family. We may have to move to Wazirabad, but rents are high and I don't even have an income anymore," he lamented. He pointed to his boat, saying it is all that remains. "If debris from the demolition falls into the river, my boat could be damaged too. That boat is everything I own."
Generations of River Dependence
Another boatman, who did not wish to be named, said his family had lived and worked along the Yamuna for nearly 200 years. He recalled a recent incident where a young girl jumped into the Yamuna to end her life, and local boatmen rescued her. "This river is our livelihood. Whether taking people for boat rides, helping families perform last rites of their loved ones or rescuing someone in distress, this is what we have done all our lives. Today, we are being removed from the very place where we have known as our life," he said. "We are not asking for luxury. We only want a place where we can pursue our livelihood. I have two kids and I need to send them to school, I also take care of my elderly parents' medical bills, what do I do now?"
Another resident, Rajesh, said the demolition has left his family without any means of income. "My grandfather did this work, my father too, and now I do the same. Our family has lived here for more than 150 years. We know no other work," he said. "We were told to vacate, but no one told us how we are to survive. If we move away from the river, how will we operate our boats? This is not just about losing a home. We have lost the only livelihood our family has ever known." Rajesh added that arranging rent would be a major hassle, and the expenses of finding a new home, shifting, and daily sustenance would crush their family.
Legal and Administrative Context
The DDA carried out the demolition a day after issuing fresh notices on June 23, asking residents to vacate the 'illegal' settlements voluntarily, failing which the 'encroachments' would be removed. The area is part of the Yamuna's O-Zone, a protected no-construction floodplain under DDA management. Residents have been asked to move to nearby shelter homes. However, for many, moving away from the river means leaving behind an occupation that has defined their families for generations. "The river is our life. Without it, we don't know how to begin again," Nishadraj said.
