Forest dept seeks DUSIB help to clear Ridge slums

While demolition drives are currently ongoing to remove the smaller structures in villages such as Devli, Asola and Pul Pahladpur, forest officials say denser areas such as Neb Sarai are next up

To begin the work of demolishing slum colonies and multi-storeyed buildings, built illegally in forest land in the southern Ridge, the Delhi forest and wildlife department has sought the help of Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) to find alternative land parcels where the slum dwellers could be rehabilitated.

Officials said encroachments are being removed from 19 villages. SANCHIT KHANNA/HT ARCHIVE

While demolition drives are currently ongoing to remove the smaller structures in villages such as Devli, Asola and Pul Pahladpur, forest officials say denser areas such as Neb Sarai are next up, and to carry out demolition there, a rehabilitation package needs to be chalked out first.

A forest official said the demolition drives have been going on for over two years now and encroachment are being removed from 19 villages of Asola, Bhatti, Chhatarpur, Aya Nagar, Maidangarhi, Satbari, Sahoorpur, Saidulajab, Neb Sarai, Jaunapur, Dera Mandi, Devli, Rajpur Khurd, Tughlaqabad, Pul Pehladpur, Rajokri, Rangpuri, Ghitorni and Mahipalpur.

However, the department said denser areas with tall structures such as Neb Sarai, Saidulajab, Prem Nagar as well as Aya Nagar will require assistance from the district task force (south), as slum colonies have to be rehabilitated first, as per law.

“We are unable to act on these thickly populated pockets and we have now approached the district task force for manpower and DUSIB for rehabilitation purposes. Work cannot commence in certain areas until locals are rehabilitated. A meeting will again be held in the next couple of weeks,” said the official, asking not to be named.

Amit Anand, deputy conservator of forest (south), who is overseeing the encroachment removal drive, said over the past few months, the department has adopted a strategy of removing encroachments and building a permanent wall within a matter of days. The area freed form encroachment is then rejuvenated by the planting of native saplings.

“Within 15-20 days, the boundary wall is up and saplings are planted so the land cannot be reclaimed or used for other activities. The ecological task force is also deployed there immediately,” Anand said.

A senior DUSIB official when contacted said they were awaiting a request from the forest department to begin rehabilitation work. “Rehabilitation can be done by the Delhi development Authority (DDA), or any other land-owning agency. While we identify areas that they can be rehabilitated, the cost has to be borne by the land-owning agency. Once we receive a formal request, we will begin the process,” the official said.