But hundreds of families living in Delhi’s Yamuna Bazar are struggling to rebuild their lives after a massive demolition drive by DDA and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) razed settlements covering 32 ghats along the Yamuna floodplain.
With a big police force, demolition was carried out after sending out a number of eviction notices to nearly 310 families since May 7. The settlements were illegal encroachments in the “Yamuna O-Zone” (protected floodplain) where construction is prohibited because of recurring flood risks, the government said.
Although the demolition was necessary to protect the floodplain, the demolition has left hundreds of residents homeless and still uncertain where they will live, work and educate their children.
Notices Issued Before Demolition
And on June 23, residents had received new notices to leave the area voluntarily or face demolition. The DDA said the settlements were illegal and thus they violated environmental and land-use regulations.
Some families had already moved some of their belongings to rented housing and many others remained behind in hopes that the eviction would be delayed or halted.
When the bulldozers came, residents rushed to get doors, windows and household items out before their homes were reduced to rubble.
"Where Will I Study?" Asks Class 10 Student
Among those affected is Kavita Kumari, a 16-year-old student from Class 10 who was born and raised in Yamuna Bazar.
Kavita, standing by the ruins of her home, said her education is now at risk.
I was born in 2011 here. My parents were also married here. I have my Class 10 exams soon. You tell me where I should go and how I am supposed to study.
She also said she and her family had barely a chance to retrieve their belongings before the demolition began.
Many of our things are still locked inside houses that have now turned into rubble.
Livelihoods Washed Away
Losing your homes almost always means losing your source of income for many families.
Rajkumari Yadav, who earns money from selling flowers at Yamuna ghats, said the demolition has left her without work.
For years the Yamuna nurtured us. Now we have to leave it behind. We don’t know how we will survive.
She added that flower vending was the only occupation that she knew.
What will I do now? I am not suited for any other job.
"If It Was Illegal, Why Were We Given Documents?"
Ashish Upadhaya, a labourer in Chandni Chowk, asked why the government had allowed residents to settle there for decades if the area was illegal.
He said many families had electricity connections, water pipelines and official documents linked to their Yamuna Bazar addresses.
If this was illegal, then how were we given electricity, water, and official documents? Why did the government wake up after so many years?
Upadhaya also questioned the rise in rental costs, saying accommodation priced at between ₹7,000 and ₹8,000 per month is beyond his family’s means.
Concerns Over Rehabilitation
Some residents were given temporary accommodation in “Rain Baseras” but many were concerned about safety and living conditions, they said.
Upadhaya said he was reluctant to take his children into shelters where people from different backgrounds, including those who are addicted, also reside.
Relocating would put distance to schools and workplaces even further away and make life more difficult, too, others argued.
Basic Necessities Become a Daily Struggle
Since the demolition, many family members have been forced to live in the open among piles of salvaged belongings.
The electricity and water supplies have been cut and residents say they are left to rely on bottled water and packaged food.
Women told us there was overcrowding in nearby public toilets, and a number of families said they couldn’t cook meals because they didn’t have access to basic facilities.
Neetu Kumari, who has lived in the area for nearly two decades, said that in the absence of shelter survival has deteriorated.
We don’t even have a place to sleep, so how will we cook and eat? We are surviving on packaged food and bottled water, which is becoming very expensive.
She thinks the authorities should have made sure to have rehabilitation to begin with before doing the demolition.
A Community Waiting for Hope
With their homes in ruins now, hundreds of families are sitting beside suitcases of all they could save.
Children run through the scorching heat, parents search for affordable accommodation and wonder how they are going to start over again.
The demolition was an attempt by the authorities to clear illegal encroachments from the Yamuna floodplain. But for displaced families it is the loss of homes, livelihoods, education and a sense of security built over decades.
But for many of them now, they are looking for a new home and many of them are still searching for a new place to call home and they say they only hope they will never be forced to go back there again.
