Mehrauli demolition: DDA to ‘return tomorrow’ amid Delhi HC's status quo order

The Delhi Development Authority cites Delhi high court's order to not demolish “all the plots” in the area. It will return for the second round of demolition tomorrow.

The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) said it will continue its anti-encroachment drive in Mehrauli as the Delhi high court didn't mention to stop demolishing buildings in “all the plots” in its status-quo order. The drive started in Friday morning in the presence of police personnel and the authority has demolished two and three-storeyed buildings that allegedly encroached upon the lands of multiple agencies including DDA, Waqf Board and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

The drive started in Friday morning in the presence of police personnel and the authority has been demolishing two and three-storeyed buildings. (ANI)

“Court has not mentioned all the plots, so will return tomorrow to continue the demolition of those houses,” DDA was quoted by news agency ANI. It was referring to Delhi high court's order to maintain status on 400 jhuggis of a slum colony in the area, as verified by the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB).

"In light of the averments made in the petition that Ghosiya Slum Colony is a jhuggi cluster duly enlisted in the list published by DUSIB on its official website, which records 400 jhuggis, as also the 2015 policy and the fact that the respondents do not have instructions in the matter, the respondents are directed to maintain status quo with respect to the 400 jhuggis verified by DUSIB, until the next date of hearing," Justice Manpreet Singh was quoted as saying by ANI.

The demolition notice claimed that the “unauthorised encroachment” upon the Mehrauli Archaeological Park is causing “hindrance” to its development.

The move has been criticised by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) since DDA sent out its eviction letters last year. MLA Naresh Yadav called the drive an “injustice” to the people in the area.

“DDA is demolishing people's houses by incorrect demarcation. Advocate Somnath Bharti has challenged the demarcation and Delhi minister Kailash Gahlot has called a meeting today at 4 pm on the matter. But DDA is doing injustice to the people of Mehrauli,” Yadav tweeted in Hindi.

(With ANI, PTI inputs)