Delhi Development Authority launched the demolition drive in Mehrauli on February 10, triggering protests by locals. This demolition drive came a month ahead of the upcoming G20 meeting in New Delhi.Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has directed the South district administration to provide families affected by the recent DDA demolition drive in Mehrauli with tents, food and other basic amenities, officials said.This comes two days after Lt Governor V K Saxena directed the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) to halt demolitions in the villages of Mehrauli and Ladha Sarai until further notice.The DDA, which comes under the BJP-led government at the Centre, launched the demolition drive in the Mehrauli Archaeological Park area on February 10.According to an official statement by the Kejriwal government, he has issued directions to provide affected families with tents, food and other basic amenities. He has directed the district administration to immediately jump into the situation and ensure that no one is hassled due to this.As per information, almost 55 monuments come under the protection of Archaeological Survey of India, the state archaeological department and Delhi Development Authority. Revenue Minister Kailash Gehlot in a statement said that the first demolition came into notice in December 2021 at DDAs request. He also said that the people of the area were not informed about the demolition exercise.The anti-encroachment drive has so far impacted 135 families, and it is not clear how many more houses are on the radar, according to police officials.Residents staged a protest against the anti-encroachment drive, claiming that the agency failed to notify them. They added that the DDA had demolished two three-story buildings near the Aulia Masjid in Andheria Mor, as well as shanties.LG tells DDA to pause demolition, examine papersDelhi LG VK Saxena on Tuesday directed the DDA to pause the ongoing demolition drive in the area till further instructions. He also directed officials to check the papers as many of the affected residents have legal papers for their property.The directive came after a group of residents from the affected areas met him as part of a Bhartiya Janata Party delegation. They sought relief from the drive, which has affected thousands of people in the area and has left many more in the dark about the fate of their homes.In a significant update on February 14, the Delhi High Court put a stay on demolition in this area till February 16. After a huge protest by residents, the court made its decision.Demolition drive in Assam alsoIn order to remove “encroachment” from the Burhachapori Wildlife Sanctuary in Sonitpur district, the Assam government also launched an eviction effort on Tuesday.The administration has chosen to remove encroachment on 1,892 hectares of land during the ongoing exercise, according to Sonitpur Deputy Commissioner Deba Kumar Mishra, who stated that “thousands of people illegally occupied the forest area for decades.”When the anti-encroachment drive began, more than 2000 security forces, including paramilitary, home guards, CRPF, and Assam police, were stationed in the region to prevent any untoward incidents. For the eviction drive, 50 excavators and 30 tractors have been stationed in the Char-Chapori area close to the Burhachapori wildlife sanctuary.
