English
New Delhi: The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has postponed the planned demolition drive on the Yamuna floodplain near the Majnu Ka Tila gurdwara, as reported on Saturday. A senior police officer mentioned that a demolition operation was carried out at Khyber Pass near Civil Lines on the same day to clear encroachments. The decision to defer the Majnu Ka Tila demolition comes amid rising concerns and protests from the local community.
Some temporary structures which were illegally made on the lands of Land and Development Office were demolished, police said. Dharamveer Solanki, a Pakistani refugee who lives in Majnu Ka Tila area, said the demolition party was yet to reach his area.
“The DDA are yet to reach Majnu ka Tila. They have started the demolition near Vidhan Sabha area,” Solanki said. The DDA had in a public notice on Thursday said it will undertake a demolition drive in the area on July 13 and 14.
People in Majnu Ka Tila, where there is a sizable population of Pakistani Hindus, said they received the notice from the land owning agency late Thursday evening asking them to vacate the area by Friday. The notice referred to the National Green Tribunal’s April 3 order and the Delhi High Court’s March 12 order behind the move.
“In the compliance of order, it is proposed to organise a demolition drive against the encroachment in the river Yamuna flood plain area near south of Gurudwara Majnu Ka Tila (Western Bank) on Saturday and Sunday,” the DDA notice read.
The affected families can take temporary harbour at Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) shelters, it had said.
“Hence, the residents of the area are hereby requested to vacate the area by July 12 otherwise they will be self-responsible for any loss due to demolition drive against the encroachment on July 13 or later,” the notice stated.
In its April 3 order, the NGT had said that the status report filed by the DDA did not disclose any substantial effective steps by the agency for removing the encroachment from the area. The NGT asked the agency to file a compliance report at least one week before the next date of hearing, which is July 15, by e-mail.
Ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, some refugees living in Majnu Ka Tila were given citizenship certificates under the Citizenship Amendment Act.
(With inputs from agencies)
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