Delhi: DDA Postpones Demolition Drive In Majnu Ka Tila, Temporary Reprieve For 170 Pakistani Hindu Families

Delhi Development Authority (DDA) postpones demolition drive against encroachments near Majnu Ka Tila gurdwara due to an undisclosed reason.

The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has postponed its planned demolition drive against encroachments on the Yamuna floodplain near the south of Majnu Ka Tila gurdwara, which was scheduled for Saturday and Sunday. According to news agency IANS, a new date for demolition has not yet been announced. 

News agency PTI reported sources as indicating that no immediate reason was provided for the delay. The move was set to affect over 170 Pakistani Hind families staying in the area, as per a PTI report.

Videos showed preparation for the demolition drive earlier today.

Speaking to PTI, residents described living in the area for over five decades with generations of their family raised there. "They had been scaring us about leaving for a long time, but formally informed about evacuation just yesterday," a woman resident claimed.

DDA Eviction Notice For Delhi's Majnu Ka Tila

In a public notice released on Thursday, the DDA announced that the demolition drive would now take place on July 13 and 14. Residents of Majnu Ka Tila, including Pakistani Hindus, reported receiving the notice from the land-owning agency late Thursday evening. The notice, citing orders from the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on April 3 and the Delhi High Court on March 12, instructed residents to vacate the area by Friday.

The DDA's notice stated: "In compliance with the orders, it is proposed to organise a demolition drive against the encroachment in the river Yamuna floodplain area near south of Gurudwara Majnu Ka Tila (Western Bank) on Saturday and Sunday."

The affected families were advised to seek temporary shelter at facilities provided by the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB). The notice warned residents: "Hence, the residents of the area are hereby requested to vacate the area by July 12; otherwise, they will be self-responsible for any loss due to the demolition drive against the encroachment on July 13 or later."

The NGT, in its April 3 order, had criticised the DDA for failing to take effective steps to remove the encroachments. The tribunal instructed the agency to submit a compliance report at least one week before the next hearing, scheduled for July 15.

It is noteworthy that ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, some refugees living in Majnu Ka Tila received citizenship certificates under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).