The Bhatti Village — long forgotten by planners in Delhi — has finally received its due attention. The village on the edge of South Delhi will be developed as the city’s first model village under the Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana (SAGY) as South Delhi MP Ramesh Bidhuri has adopted the village. The Delhi Chief Secretary has convened a meeting to explore ways and means of developing the village.
Bhatti Village, located on the Delhi-Haryana border in South Delhi, is only a few kilometres away from the super-affluence of Chhatarpur’s farmhouses. However, it is one of the most neglected villages in Delhi. It lacks basic infrastructure such as roads, schools, dispensaries, a waste disposal system and even sufficient drinking water. Besides, the village, which is situated at a distance of some 2-3 kms from the ravaged Bhatti mines, has suffered owing to excessive mining and polluted groundwater.
Talking to The Pioneer, South Delhi MP Ramesh Bidhuri said he chose Bhatti as it is the most neglected of the 54 villages in his area. “It does not have a reliable public transport link and children have to go outside for higher classes as it only has a primary school. lack of transport deprives children of education. Even facilities like piped water are not available here,” Bidhuri said.
Delhi Chief Secretary Deepak Mohan Spolia said that he has convened a meeting with Deputy Commissioner (South) Niharika Rai and other officials to discuss the development plan of Bhatti village and its adjoining areas. Besides 24x7 power and water supply, better road, infrastructure, WI-FI facility, parking facility, job opportunity and transport connectivity is needed to make it a smart village. The area should also been free congestion and garbage. “A road map to be prepared to make Bhatti village a smart village,” he said.
According to the Socio-Economic Profile of village Bhatti, the area of the village is 18,403 Bigha and 03 Biswa. Of this, 5,022 Bigha 10 Biswa is for cultivation. In 1996, 11,101 Bigha 19 Biswa of the gram sabha land was notified under ridge in the Delhi Gazette. Thus a large part of the village rests with the Forest Department.
The Revenue village of Bhatti has three sub-parts: Bhatti Kalan, Bhatti Khurd and Sanjay Colony.
Another minor part is Har Swarup Colony.
The village is occupied primarily by the people of Gujjar community. They do not own agricultural land (with a very few exceptions), which have been purchased by outsiders over a period of time. Almost all households have livestock which serve as the lifeline of the village.
On moving ahead some three-four kms on the same Main Chhatarpur Road, in the interiors on the left side, lies the unauthorised Sanjay Colony. It falls in the notified Ridge Area which is inhabited by the labour class population many of whom claim to be the descendents of the labourers who used to work in the Bhatti mines when they were operational.