"Why Target Us?" Fear In Delhi's Batla House As Demolition Deadline Looms

Fear and anxiety is palpable among the residents of Muradi Road and Khizar Baba Colony in Delhi's Batla House as they face eviction notices from the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and the Uttar Pradesh Irrigation Department, with demolitions looming as early as June 11.

Clutching rent deeds, utility bills, and property tax records spanning decades, the communities are mounting a legal fight to protect their homes, determined to halt the bulldozers.

The notices, stemming from a May 7 Supreme Court order, target unauthorized structures on 2.8 bigha (0.702 hectare) of land in Khasra number 279 along Muradi Road, under DDA's jurisdiction, and 4.5 bigha (1.12 hectare) in Khasra number 277 in Khizar Baba Colony, claimed by the UP Irrigation Department. 

Red crosses on doors and walls signal the impending threat. 

For residents, the orders are a shock after decades of unchallenged residency.

"We've lived here for over 50 years. My grandfather built this house," said Jameel Ahmed, a 60-year-old Muradi Road resident, displaying a worn rent deed from the 1980s. "No one ever told us this was DDA land - no signs, no warnings. Now they want us out in 15 days?"

The DDA's notice spares homes covered by the Pradhan Mantri - Unauthorised Colonies in Delhi Awas Adhikar Yojana (PM-UDAY), a 2019 scheme to legalise ownership in 1,731 unauthorised colonies. 

Yet, many residents argue their properties, backed by pre-2014 title documents, are wrongly excluded. In Khizar Baba Colony, the UP Irrigation Department's May 22 notice offers no such relief, with an Okhla office official confirming plans for bulldozers and security forces.

Shoaib Danish, a former councillor, is leading the resistance. 

"We're petitioning the Supreme Court against the DDA and approaching a local court for the UP notice," he said, as residents pooled documents. 

"These aren't slums-these are multi-storey homes with families who've paid taxes and built lives. How can they be uprooted overnight?" he added.

On June 2, the Supreme Court declined interim relief to 40 Batla House petitioners, directing them to other authorities, with a full hearing set for July after the court's summer recess. 

"We got a brief reprieve, but it's not enough," said AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan, urging families to apply for PM-UDAY regularisation.

In Khizar Baba Colony, the Delhi High Court granted temporary relief on May 30, halting evictions for 115 families until an August 4 hearing. 

Lawyer Dr Farrukh Khan, representing them, noted the UP Irrigation Department's history of losing similar Okhla land disputes due to unproven ownership claims.

Residents like Gulshana Khan, a mother of three, are gripped by uncertainty. "Our children go to school here. Losing everything is unthinkable," she said, her voice trembling. 

Mohammad Usman, a Muradi Road confectionery shop owner, added, "We have electricity bills, tax slips-everything. Why this harassment?"

Fahemm Akhtar, a shopkeeper on Khasra 279, voiced economic fears: "People are scared, anxious. Crores of businesses are at stake. Where will families go with such high inflation?"

Rizwan, a Khizar Baba Colony resident, emphasised the area's established nature: "Khasra 277 and 279 are lined with showrooms, five-to six-storey buildings, and a government hospital nearby. We've lived here for 70 years. There was never an issue. The Supreme Court's July hearing gives us hope, but demolishing this area contradicts public interest. This isn't a slum like Madrasi Camp near a drain - or other areas being demolished. Why target us?"

The legal battle rests on claims of PM-UDAY eligibility and the Recognition of Property Rights Act, 2019. Residents argue their homes lie outside the Supreme Court's demolition zone and that authorities violated natural justice by omitting proper notice or hearings.

"These are legitimate residents, not encroachers," said lawyer Sanjay Hegde, representing petitioners in the Supreme Court. "The DDA's actions lack fairness."

With a narrow 20-foot road dividing Muradi Road and Khizar Baba Colony, residents brace for the fight to save their homes especially as Eid al-Adha approaches.