Days after demolition, Yamuna Bazar residents scour rubble for possessions

New Delhi: Days after the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) demolished illegal structures in Yamuna Bazaar, former residents returned to the site on Sunday, braving the rain to sift through the debris in search for their remaining belongings

New Delhi: Days after the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) demolished illegal structures in Yamuna Bazaar, former residents returned to the site on Sunday, braving the rain to sift through the debris in search for their remaining belongings.

Many hired scrap dealers to recover iron grills and wooden ceiling beams, hoping to earn money after authorities gave them one day to recover their possessions. (HT Photo)

Many hired scrap dealers to recover iron grills and wooden ceiling beams, hoping to earn money after authorities gave them one day to recover their possessions.

Following eviction notices by the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) to around 310 families in the centuries-old Yamuna Bazar Ghat area in May, the DDA carried out a demolition drive in June, razing all residential structures, except a few historically significant buildings, including several temples.

The DDMA described the settlement as an “illegal encroachment” on the Yamuna floodplain in the O-Zone and cited the recurring risk of flooding as the reason for the eviction.

When HT visited the site on Sunday, over 20 people were seen searching through the debris for the first time since the demolition. Several residents said it was difficult to even identify the spot where their homes once stood.

Rani, 31-year-old, who now rents a small room in Shahdara’s Kartar Nagar, said she returned to the site at 8 am and found only two iron door grills, which she sold for ₹2,000.

“When the drive began, we took away whatever valuables we could. Since the site was under the authorities, we feared legal action if we came back. My husband and I used to run a flower shop here, but now we have lost our livelihood. With very little money left, we did not want to take any risk. Today, someone informed us that the authorities had given a day to collect our belongings,” said Rani, who has three daughters.

Kamla Kumari, 40, who now lives with her seven-member family in Burari, said she hired a scrap dealer who paid her ₹4,000 for iron grilles and wooden ceiling beams recovered from her house.

“My husband passed away, and I now live with my brother and three children. I managed to admit my son in a private school by paying ₹12,000 as annual fees, while my two daughters study in government schools in Civil Lines. We already paid ₹9,000 as rent and the remaining is for basic necessities. How will I manage their education and travel expenses?” Kumari said.

“This place holds all our childhood memories and I did not want to come back. But we have to move on. The ₹4,000 from the scrap dealer will help us for a few more days as I try to find work,” Kumari said, while her elder brother, the primary earning member of the family, negotiated with the scrap dealer.