NEW DELHI: The Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) is exploring various strategies to provide housing for the city’s slum dwellers. To this end, they will conduct a survey of the land they oversee and detect any encroachments.
In a recent meeting, the DUSIB CEO instructed officials to map jhuggi jhopri clusters located on the agency’s properties and determine the extent of encroachment by each cluster, along with the number of families residing there. DUSIB engineers have been directed to deliver the report as soon as possible.
An official noted that the current government has issued stringent guidelines to all relevant departments, ensuring that eligible slum dwellers receive pucca housing under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana. Out of 675 identified slum clusters, 378 are on lands owned by the DDA, railways, and various central government bodies, while the remainder are on properties under DUSIB and MCD.
Estimates suggest that approximately 20% of Delhi’s population, or nearly 5 million people, reside in over 675 slums, occupying about 7.5 km², which is only 0.5% of the city’s total area of 1,483 square kilometers. The Delhi Development Authority has begun a comprehensive survey of central lands that have been encroached upon by slums.
District-wise mapping of the jhuggi jhopri clusters will encompass critical information such as current land use, household counts, and the total area of each cluster. The assessment of vacant lands under DUSIB’s authority will include details like parcel sizes, encroachment status, boundary wall conditions, present land use, and compliance with approved layout plans. “This thorough evaluation will aid in pinpointing suitable land for future housing development and monetization,” an official stated.
To offer pucca homes to slum dwellers, the government established the Delhi Slum and Jhuggi Jhopri Rehabilitation and Relocation Policy in 2015, focusing on in situ rehabilitation.
