Following demolition, Nizamuddin slum dwellers worried about children's future

The slum cluster between the Sundar Nursery and the Delhi Public School inhabited by about 1,000 to 1,500 people, most of whom engaged as ragpickers, street hawkers, maids, labourers and small-scale traders, was demolished in a drive following a courts order on Tuesday.Anita Dhakolia, whose husband works as a guard at Mandi House, said that house rent in nearby areas has gone up following the demolition.

Children who used to stay in the slum at Sundar Nursery in southeast Delhi stare at an uncertain future as many have missed school since the settlement was demolished three days ago.

''My grandchildren are students of Modern School and Delhi Public School. We have no idea where their books are. How they will study and go to school without books and dress?'' asked Mohammad Isrile.

After living in the area for the last 50 years, he had to shift his family members to his relative's house following the demolition of the settlement.

Another resident, Mobina Begum, said her two daughters are not going to school since they do not have their books and dresses. Shazia Khan's son had got admission in Delhi Public School, Mathura Road, on the economically weaker section quota. ''We got a notice on November 18 and the authority demolished our house on November 21. I already took out medicines for my husband and dresses along with the books of my kids. He had his exam today. We have shifted to a nearby place on rent,'' she said. The slum cluster between the Sundar Nursery and the Delhi Public School inhabited by about 1,000 to 1,500 people, most of whom engaged as ragpickers, street hawkers, maids, labourers and small-scale traders, was demolished in a drive following a court's order on Tuesday.

Anita Dhakolia, whose husband works as a guard at Mandi House, said that house rent in nearby areas has gone up following the demolition. ''My son studies at South Delhi Public School. Our financial condition is not good. My daughter lives with my parents in Noida. After the demolition, the price of the property in nearby areas has gone up. My husband earns Rs 10,000 per month and the landlords are demanding Rs 15,000 to 18,000 rent. We have no option but to live on the road,'' Dhakolia said. Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee President Arvinder Singh Lovely visited the site and slammed the Central and Delhi governments for the demolition of 250 JJ clusters at Sundar Nursery, despite the prevalence of GRAP-3 which prevents all construction and demolition activities.

Lovely said the Delhi government counsel misrepresented the case of the slum dwellers in the court to make these poor people roofless and disturb the studies of their children. JJ clusters under the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board cannot be demolished without giving the residents alternate accommodation. It was shocking that the Delhi Government, after carrying out a survey in the name of providing them flats, demolished the settlement, the Congress leader said.

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