In a stark reminder of the ongoing housing crisis in the national capital, bulldozers rolled into the Ashok Vihar locality on Monday as part of a demolition drive led by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA). Targeting informal dwellings at Jailorwala Bagh, this marks yet another episode in the city’s intensifying campaign against unauthorised slum settlements — one that has raised serious questions around equity, urban inclusion, and due process.
The latest drive comes barely days after a similar action was undertaken at Bhoomiheen Camp in Kalkaji, South Delhi, where informal structures were razed under the supervision of DDA officials. Both demolitions have been carried out following directions from the Delhi High Court, with the DDA claiming the actions are necessary to remove illegal encroachments from public land.
In the lead-up to the Ashok Vihar demolition, local residents were reportedly served notices instructing them to vacate their homes within a short window of just a few days. The notices, issued between 8 and 10 June, warned that any delay in vacating would result in forcible eviction. For many families, that deadline expired without a viable alternative — leaving them to watch as their homes and belongings were reduced to rubble.
The bulldozing of Ashok Vihar’s Jailorwala Bagh has provoked political backlash, particularly from opposition parties who accuse the ruling dispensation of targeting the city’s most vulnerable. The protests gained momentum last week when an opposition MLA was detained by Delhi Police for staging a sit-in against the demolition at Bhoomiheen Camp. The legislator alleged that the administration, led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has shown utter disregard for the lives of slum dwellers.
The opposition further blamed the newly installed city leadership, accusing them of fast-tracking demolitions while ignoring critical rehabilitation measures. “They are destroying homes instead of building hope,” a senior party member remarked. Party leadership also took to social media to condemn the administration’s approach, saying the capital has seen “three months of decline” since the new regime took over.
Despite the outcry, the DDA maintains that the operations are legally sanctioned and necessary to clear encroachments. Officials insist that the drives comply with court orders and are part of long-term urban development goals. However, what remains unclear is whether a structured rehabilitation or relocation plan is in place for the hundreds of families who now find themselves displaced — a point that urban housing experts say should be central to any such exercise.
The absence of transparent resettlement measures has added to public concern. Activists and social workers on the ground report that several families have been left shelterless, with no access to basic facilities. Many residents claim they were not consulted or briefed properly, and that they were given no time to secure their livelihoods or children’s education before being evicted.Delhi has long struggled to reconcile rapid urban development with inclusive growth. While court orders mandate the removal of illegal structures, the larger question remains — who gets to belong in a city that is growing at a pace faster than its housing policies can keep up with?
As the dust settles over Ashok Vihar’s flattened dwellings, the city is once again confronted with the moral dilemma of progress at the cost of the poor. If Delhi is to realise its vision of a truly equitable metropolis, experts say, future development must shift from bulldozers to building bridges — between legality and humanity, infrastructure and inclusion.
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