Nearly 350 tenements spread across the five-acre Bhoomiheen Camp in south-east Delhi’s Kalkaji were demolished by the Delhi Development Authority on Wednesday morning following orders by the Delhi High Court.
The court had on June 6 allowed the urban body to demolish the dwellings at the JJ cluster, noting that “none of the petitioners have any legal right to continue occupying the JJ cluster incessantly, to the detriment of the public at large”. A day later, the DDA asked the residents to vacate the area by June 10.
At least five bulldozers were deployed for the anti-encroachment drive, which started at 5 a.m. and flattened a total of 344 dwellings. A number of police and paramilitary personnel were also stationed in the area to maintain law and order.
The residents, who work as street vendors, daily wage labourers and house helps in nearby areas like C.R. Park, claimed that the site was home to nearly 1,200 families. Those who weren’t deemed eligible for the November 2022 rehabilitation scheme, through which new flats were allotted to Bhoomiheen Camp residents in Kalkaji Extension, pointed out that the drive had been conducted at the peak of summer. And that renting a place in the adjoining areas, known for their sky-high rents, was beyond their means.
