Authorities carried out an anti-encroachment demolition drive on Sunday in northwest Delhi’s Shalimar Bagh area. Officials said the exercise was carried out after following due legal procedures.
The campaign took place amid tight security measures, with the deployment of paramilitary forces and police.
Shailendra Singh, district magistrate (central and north Delhi), said the land was acquired in 1980 and compensation was paid to the affected occupants at that time.
He said several attempts had been made over the years to clear the site, but the process remained incomplete.
“As part of the latest action, notices were issued to the residents occupying the land. Following the notices, some residents approached the Delhi High Court challenging the move. Based on the court’s directions, the administration has invited all occupiers to file claims and objections,” he said.
A total of 157 individuals submitted applications, which were screened through the hearing process.
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“After detailed hearings, 157 separate orders were passed. None of the occupiers’ names were registered as owners of the land. All of them were found to be unlicensed occupiers,” he said.
According to Dubai Municipality’s message, notifications have been sent to all affected persons and appropriate opportunities have been provided to them to present their cases.
The court ruled in favor of the administration and gave the residents about seven weeks, until May 30, to voluntarily vacate the building.
After the Supreme Court’s ruling, some residents went to the Supreme Court to seek redress. He added that the Supreme Court rejected their request, paving the way for the administration to go ahead with the demolition campaign.
The road passing through the area has been designated as a 30-metre-wide corridor under the city’s master plan, officials said. Although the road is wide on both sides, there is a narrow bottleneck at the bypassed stretch, creating traffic and civic challenges.
The narrow section hampers movement during emergencies and contributes to waterlogging during the monsoon season, Singh said.
“With these public concerns in mind, we tried to persuade residents to cooperate for the greater good of development,” he said.
DM added that the disinfection operation was supposed to take place very early but was delayed for various reasons. He said: “This measure has been long overdue, and today we are implementing it in accordance with the law and in the interest of the public good.”
