At around 5 am on Wednesday, bulldozers rolled into the Bhoomiheen jhuggi-jhopri camp in south Delhi’s Govindpuri. Families woke to the sound of demolition and rushed to salvage what they could. By noon, in the middle of a red alert heatwave, hundreds were left on the streets.
The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) said 344 jhuggi constructions were demolished from its encroached land. Most, it claimed, were uninhabited. The agency also clarified that no court stay was in place to halt the action.
Among those watching her home turn to rubble was 45-year-old Satyawati, a domestic worker who had lived in the camp her entire life.
“I was born here. My parents died here. I don’t live with my husband, so I take care of my 16-year-old daughter and son alone,” she said.
“We have been on the road since morning. We have not eaten. It’s too hot still I have come to Tughlaqabad to see if I can find a room on rent,” she said. She earns Rs 6,000–7,000 a month washing utensils in nearby bungalows. “We thought the demolition would start at 10 am or 11 am, but they came at 5 am. People were still asleep.”
Temperatures in parts of Delhi touched 45.5 degrees Celsius on Wednesday. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red alert for the capital, warning of heat illness and advising people to avoid exposure. The heatwave has intensified with dry south-westerly winds and limited humidity, further affecting those displaced.
Many of the evicted are migrant workers from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. “We have nowhere to go,” said a woman, sitting beside bags filled with her belongings. “There were promises of Jahan Jhuggi Wahan Makaan, but we were never allotted any flat. Now we will have to live on the road.”
According to the DDA, residents were issued notices on June 9, giving them three days to vacate. “All residents of Bhoomiheen Camp, Kalkaji Extension, were informed as per court directions that illegal clusters would be demolished,” the notice said.
Police and paramilitary forces cordoned off the area during the demolition. “We have deployed adequate force to ensure peaceful execution of the drive. No one will be allowed to breach law and order,” an official said.
This is not the first time the camp has faced demolition. Similar drives were conducted in May and July last year. The DDA said the latest action followed the dismissal of writ petitions by the Delhi High Court.
Responding to the criticism, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the government was bound by court orders. “Displaced families are being provided accommodation,” she said on Sunday. Residents, however, claimed otherwise.
The IMD has predicted that heatwave conditions will continue across Delhi-NCR till June 12. A western disturbance could bring light showers and some relief by the night of June 13, when the alert will be downgraded from red to orange.