Residents brace for eviction after final warning
Poonam Kashyap, in her mid-50s, was busy packing her belongings in her single-room home in Yamuna Bazar, where she claims to have lived for 35 years. She is among the approximately 1,150 residents of the nearly four-hectare Yamuna Bazar ghat who received a final warning from authorities late Friday night to vacate ahead of a proposed demolition drive scheduled for Monday morning. No official confirmation could be obtained from the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) about the drive.
"I hoped that the government would provide us with alternative accommodation, but not even a single assurance came from its side," said Kashyap, whose livelihood depends on selling dough balls for feeding fish. "My husband and one son have passed away. I have managed to find a rented accommodation in nearby Shastri Nagar, where my two other sons live with their families. But I do not know how I will pay the monthly rent of Rs 5,500."
Loss of hope and concerns for grandchildren
By Saturday evening, most residents were packing their belongings, having lost hope of receiving any further extension. Kashyap expressed worry about her grandchildren, who study at Victoria Girls’ Senior Secondary School. "How will they commute every day? This will add to our family’s expenses," she said, standing with her daughter-in-law. She also contributes to the upkeep of temples in the area.
The eviction drive is part of a larger initiative to remove encroachments and restore the Yamuna Bazar ghat. Some residents had moved court seeking relief, but their petitions were dismissed. Around 1,150 people live in approximately 310 residential units across the ghat area.
Residents question timing and fairness
Mithlesh, who moved to Yamuna Bazar from Bulandshahr nearly 40 years ago, struggled to hold back tears. "We were used as voters all these years, and now we are suddenly being asked to leave. With our limited savings, we built this one-room structure. If these homes were obstructing the city’s development, why were we given electricity connections and voter identity cards?" she asked.
Santosh appeared resigned to the situation. "Nothing can be done now. We lost in court because people were divided," he said while packing clothes and household items into suitcases and sacks.
Official notice cites flood risk
Eviction notices were pasted on several homes. One notice, issued on May 13 by the chief executive officer of Delhi Disaster Management Authority, stated that the "illegal encroachment along the banks of the Yamuna falls in O zone and inundated during floods every year, posing a serious threat to human life, cattle and property." It directed residents to voluntarily leave with their belongings within the stipulated period.
