New Delhi: Hundereds of families were left homeless after the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) carried out a demolition drive at Yamuna Bazar, clearing settlements along the Yamuna Floodplain. While officials say the action was part of a court backed effort to remove encroachments, residents say they have been pushed into a desperate struggle for survival.
Many families spent theday gathering whatever belongings they could save as bulldozers razed their homes. For daily wage workers, boatmen and small vendors, the biggest worry now is finding a place to live in a city where even a single rented room costs around rs 8,000 a month.
” Where will we go? We can’t afford rs 8,000 rent. We barely earn enough to feed our children,” said one resident, standing beside the remains of his home.
Another resident said the demolition has left them with nowhere to turn. “We were given notices, but no real alternative. Our children have lost their home overnight.”
The DDA said residents had been served eviction notices in advance and were asked to shift to shelter homes run by the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB). Officials maintain the settlements were illegal structures on the Yamuna floodplain and had to be removed as part of a riverfront restoration project.
However, many displaced families claim the shelters are overcrowded and unsuitable for long term living. They also fear losing their livelihoods, especially members of the Nishad community, who have depended on the Yamuna for generations through boating and religious services.
“Our work is here. If we’re moved far away, how will we earn?” asked a boatman, adding that the demolition has put both his home and income at risk.
The cleared land is expected to become part of a larger redevelopment plan aimed at restoring the Yamuna riverfront and its historic ghats. But for those forced out, the future remains uncertain.
As families sit beside piles of salvaged clothes, utensils and furniture under the open sky, their immediate concern is not redevelopment but finding a roof over their heads.
For many, the question is painfully simple if they cannot afford ₹8,000 in monthly rent, where do they go next?
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