Six years ago, many residents of both slums were relocated after a survey found that the land they lived on belonged to the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) and the South civic body. (Representational/Express photo/Ravi Kanojia)
Since May 22, officials of the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) and the South Delhi Municipal Corporation have been undertaking a joint survey at Kidwai Nagar’s Arjun Das Camp and Bangali Camp slums to verify the eligibility of residents for rehabilitation.
Six years ago, many residents of both slums were relocated after a survey found that the land they lived on belonged to the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) and the South civic body. Some, however, got caught in the bureaucratic tangle of multiple governing bodies and were left behind.
The camps currently house around 400 shanties. A low wall runs behind the houses, beyond which is the East Kidwai Nagar redevelopment project site. Earlier, the slums lay on either side of the wall.
Rajkumar (52), a resident, said, “We never knew that we occupied two different plots of land. Only when the survey commenced in 2012 did we find out that the houses on the other side of the wall were on NDMC land, while ours was on SDMC land.”
He added that 130 families from Arjun Das Camp and 54 from Bangali Das camp were relocated to Bawana in 2012.
According to DUSIB board member Bipin Rai, the NDMC had approached them to relocate slum dwellers on their land to accommodate the NBCC’s redevelopment project.
“We had offered to relocate residents on SDMC’s area as well but the proposal was stuck in a tangle till the High Court intervention. The survey and other appropriate activity for rehabilitation has been necessitated now following the High Court order,” he said.
On April 24, the Delhi High Court had directed that the joint survey be undertaken and a report be submitted on June 26.
The land which the current residents occupy is a low-lying strip along the Khushak nala.
Shanti Devi (45), another resident, said, “Every monsoon, the drain overflows and enters our homes… the water comes up to our knees and takes away our clothes and utensils.”
Some residents like Rajkumar believe that there was no interest to relocate them because the land is not useful for construction activity.
Mathura Prasad (62), whose brother’s family had been moved to Bawana in 2012, said, “We will be happy to go wherever we are sent. But we hope we are shifted to a place where public transport is available… many of us have to travel to this part of the city looking for daily wage work.”
Rai told The Indian Express that they would be shifted to a site in Dwarka.