NEW DELHI: The Tamil Nadu government has pledged full support to residents of Madrasi Camp in Delhi’s Jangpura who wish to return to their home districts in Tamil Nadu, following a demolition drive on June 1. The demolition, conducted to remove illegal encroachments along the Barapullah drain in compliance with a Delhi high court order, has left hundreds of families, mostly originally from Tamil Nadu, displaced.Mani, a Tamil resident affected by the demolition, expressed frustration over the lack of opportunities in Tamil Nadu, stating, “They should give jobs to those already in Madras right now, and then they should call us. Why are people roaming around there? First, they should handle Tamil Nadu, then they should look at Delhi. If they had given us jobs, why would we have come to Delhi from Tamil Nadu?”
Poll
Do you think the demolition actions taken by the Delhi government were justified?
On Sunday, authorities carried out a demolition drive at Madrasi Camp in Jangpura, South East Delhi, following court orders to remove encroachments along the Barapullah drain. The clearance was aimed at addressing flooding problems caused by the narrowing of the drain, which restricts water flow during heavy rainfall. A total of 370 encroachments were removed. Of the affected residents, 189 have been found eligible for resettlement and have been allotted flats in Narela, while 181 were deemed ineligible for rehabilitation.Anil Banka, district magistrate of South East Delhi, on the ongoing demolition drive at Madrasi Camp in the Jangpura area, said to ANI, “This action is being carried out as per the court’s orders, and we are removing the encroachments solely based on those directives. The Barapulla drain had become narrow, hindering its cleaning and causing issues with water flow. During heavy rains, flooding spreads across the area due to these obstructions. The matter was under consideration in court, which has now permitted us to proceed with the removal starting today. We have also allotted flats in Narela to all eligible residents affected by this drive.”He further said, “Notices regarding the encroachments were already given to residents, and until now, 370 illegal encroachments have been demolished. While 189 are eligible for resettlement, 181 are not eligible.”
