Delhi High Court on Wednesday ruled that no one can be evicted with a bulldozer on his doorstep “early morning or late evening” without any notice and rendering him completely shelterless.
Hearing a petition filed by Shakarpur Slum Union, Justice Subramonium Prasad ordered that reasonable period has to be given to such persons and temporary location has to be provided to them before embarking on demolition activities.
Disposing the petition, the order said in future Delhi Development Authority (DDA) must consult with Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) before any demolition venture and persons cannot be evicted as hapless.
“The DDA has to act in consultation with the DUSIB before embarking upon any venture and persons cannot be evicted with a bulldozer at their doorstep early in the morning or late in the evening, without any notice, rendering them completely shelterless.
“A reasonable period has to be given to such persons and temporary location has to be provided to them before embarking on any demolition activities,” said the order.
On June 25, last year the petitioner slum union accused that the DDA officials with police without any notice arrived at the area and demolished about 300 jhuggis.
The DDA in its affidavit said vacation of stay was granted by the HC stating that demolition was carried out in the area which was located at a distance of approximately 200 metres from the Yamuna River.
The authority said they intended to conduct demolition drive on the Yamuna floodplains with the object of maintaining ecology of the same and the drive was in consonance with the DDA’s restoration project.
The DDA said that the petitioner union was carrying out the commercial activity of segregation of waste material in the Yamuna floodplains which were detrimental to the ecology and morphology of the Yamuna, which is prohibited. The union countered that they were changed from the river flood plains and now settled in the DUSIB project area. Hearing both sides, the High Court said that petitioners are eligible for DUSIB’s rehabilitation projects.