DEHRADUN: Residents of Kathbangla colony near the Rispana riverbank are living in fear of their homes being demolished as they await the EWS flats promised by the Dehradun Municipal Corporation.
On November 21, the Mussoorie Dehradun Development Authority (MDDA) served eviction notices to 116 families, instructing them to vacate their homes within 15 days or face demolition. This action is in response to a National Green Tribunal (NGT) ruling prohibiting encroachments on river floodplains.
More than a month has passed since the notices were issued, and relocation has yet to occur, leaving residents anxious about the threat of sudden demolition. “The notice states our homes could be demolished if we don’t vacate within 15 days. It’s been over a month now, and the corporation has not provided the flats. Each day, we leave for work fearing we may return to find our homes reduced to rubble, leaving our families without shelter in this cold,” expressed Raman Pandit, a resident.
Others mentioned that uncertainty has lingered for months. “Some houses were demolished last year. The court states that families living here before March 2016 are safe, yet eviction notices were still issued. Officials visit every few weeks to check documents and mark houses before leaving. One government agency talks of demolition, another speaks of relocation, and now there is silence after the ultimatum. It’s mental torture,” voiced another resident.
The residents have protested against the notices throughout the city. Officials from the authority have confirmed that no demolitions will take place until the DMC completes the relocation process.
Municipal Commissioner Namami Bansal informed TOI that work on the EWS site remains pending. “Jal Sansthan was initially expected to finish by December 15, but that has not occurred. We will follow up for a revised timeline. Allotments on our end have already been finalized,” she stated.
