NEW DELHI: The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and the Municipal Corporation on Monday carried out a major demolition drive in South Delhi’s Taimoor Nagar, targeting illegal constructions on the banks of local drains.
The action followed a Delhi High Court directive issued on April 28, which held that such encroachments were contributing to persistent waterlogging in the area.
Starting around 9 am, over half a dozen bulldozers were deployed to remove unauthorised structures spread across more than half a kilometre.
The demolition was accompanied by a heavy police and paramilitary deployment to maintain order.
According to DDA officials, despite being issued multiple notices, residents failed to vacate the encroached public land, prompting legal intervention. A petition filed by 14 encroachers brought the matter before the Delhi High Court, which observed that the illegal construction had obstructed the natural flow of sewage and rainwater, aggravating waterlogging issues in several parts of South Delhi, especially during recent rains on May 1 and 2.
“This court is of the considered view that the waterlogging witnessed in various parts of Delhi… is attributable, at least in part, to the inability of the Taimoor Nagar drain to effectively discharge rainwater downstream due to these obstructions,” noted the bench comprising Justices Prathiba Singh and Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora. The court further remarked that a small group of individuals occupying public land cannot claim rights that override the welfare of the larger public.
While the DDA maintained that the demolition was conducted in strict compliance with the court’s order and after repeated warnings, several local residents expressed anguish over the short notice period and the absence of any rehabilitation plan. Many claimed to have lived in the area for over four decades and said they had nowhere else to go.
Heavy police and paramilitary deployed to maintain order
The demolition was accompanied by a heavy police and paramilitary deployment to maintain order. Starting around 9 am, over half a dozen bulldozers were deployed to remove unauthorised structures spread across more than half a kilometre. The action followed a Delhi High Court directive issued on April 28, which held that such encroachments were contributing to persistent waterlogging in the area.
