DDA Demolition Drive on Yamuna Flood Plain Set for July 13-14

The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has announced a demolition drive targeting encroachments on the Yamuna flood plain near Majnu Ka Tila gurdwara on July 13 and 14. Residents, including Pakistani Hindus, received the notice. The move follows orders from the National Green Tribunal and the Delhi High Court.

The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) will carry out a demolition drive against encroachments on the Yamuna flood plain south of the Majnu Ka Tila gurdwara on July 13 and 14, as per a public notice issued by the agency.

Residents of Majnu Ka Tila, including Pakistani Hindus, said they received the notice from the land-owning agency late Thursday evening. A senior police officer confirmed that the DDA had requested security to maintain law and order during the drive.

The notice specified that the encroachments adjacent to the gurdwara on DDA land must be removed, except for the structure belonging to a petitioner who has taken the matter to court. The notice cited orders from the National Green Tribunal (NGT) and the Delhi High Court as the basis for the demolition.

The notice also mentioned that affected families could seek temporary shelter at facilities provided by the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB). Residents were advised to vacate the area by July 12 to avoid any loss due to the demolition. In its April 3 order, the NGT noted that the DDA had not taken substantial steps to remove the encroachments.

The NGT directed the DDA to submit a compliance report by July 15, ahead of the next hearing. Recently, some refugees in Majnu Ka Tila were given citizenship certificates under the Citizenship Amendment Act, ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.