DEHRADUN: Residents of Kathbangla colony protested outside the Dehradun Municipal Corporation (DMC) office on Wednesday after the Mussoorie Dehradun Development Authority (MDDA) issued eviction notices to 116 families. They claim that the rehabilitation flats offered to them are unsafe, as they are located near the riverbed.
Karishma, a domestic worker, expressed concerns stating, “The flats are closer to the river than my current home, which is far from it and has had an electricity connection since 2012.”
Another protester, Maya Devi, criticized the condition and size of the rehabilitation building, saying, “It was in ruins for ten years, and after a quick paint job, the government expects us to accept it as our new home. How can large families live in such cramped conditions?”
Families who haven’t received eviction notices are equally anxious about their future. Many, holding pre-2016 electricity bills, fear their homes might be demolished. “If we’re not being relocated, does that mean our houses are at risk?” one resident wondered.
Social activists have labeled the eviction drive as “unlawful,” citing National Green Tribunal (NGT) guidelines that protect residents living in such settlements prior to 2016. They plan to organize a larger protest in response.
Sanjay Sharma, a senior Congress member, highlighted the historical context: “These slums emerged between 1975 and 1980. The corporation collected house tax in the 1990s and provided electricity and gas connections. The Chief Minister had promised no houses would be demolished. Many residents have lived here for decades; they can’t be forcibly evicted.”
The protesters committed to staying in their homes, submitting written responses to MDDA questioning the legitimacy of the eviction. “When regulations state no action can be taken against residents living here before March 2016, why are we being threatened with demolition? We demand full clarity on rehabilitation plans,” they stated.
Mayor Saurabh Thapliyal clarified that the eviction notices were issued by MDDA, asserting that DMC’s responsibility is simply to facilitate rehabilitation according to due process. A senior DMC official noted that the land occupied by the slums is owned by MDDA and is earmarked for riverfront development, unrelated to the proposed Rispana-Bindal elevated corridor.
