Hundreds of residents from Kathbangla colony, situated along the Rispana river in Dehradun, took to the streets on Thursday. They were joined by opposition party members and various people's organisations in a march towards the Chief Minister's House. The protest was against a government-led relocation drive, with the submission of a memorandum outlining their key demands.
Eviction Notices and Mounting Anxiety
The immediate trigger for the protest was eviction notices served by the Mussoorie Dehradun Development Authority (MDDA) to 116 families. The notices asked them to vacate their homes within 15 days and shift to housing units developed nearby by the Dehradun Municipal Corporation. However, with the deadline looming, residents claimed the promised allotment had not materialized, leaving them in a state of fear and uncertainty.
Raman Pandit, a daily wage earner, voiced the community's distress. "We have not received any update from nagar nigam, and MDDA is threatening to demolish our houses if we don't vacate. These civic bodies have left us in uncertainty. We have been living in fear for months now," he said. The anxiety is compounded by the dropping winter temperatures.
Legal Grounds and Safety Concerns
The protesters argued that the eviction drive is legally untenable. They cited a law and court directives which state that action cannot be initiated against people residing in the area before March 11, 2016. They pointed out that the MDDA's own notices acknowledge their residence predates this cutoff date.
Beyond the legal argument, the core of the protest revolves around the safety and suitability of the proposed rehabilitation. The residents flatly rejected the offered flats, calling them inappropriate. "The notice states that the corporation will allocate flats, but these units are unsuitable for families," said a protestor. They raised critical safety issues:
- The building is old and located precariously between the river and the road.
- The structure has remained half-built for over 15 years, raising doubts about its integrity.
- The flats are not designed for large families, ignoring their actual circumstances.
Their memorandum demanded clarity on whether the flats would be safe during floods and if the long-stalled construction has compromised the structure. "Until both these issues are addressed, allowing anyone to stay there would be negligent," the document stated.
Official Response and Next Steps
The marching group was stopped by police on Kalidas Road, but a delegation managed to submit the memorandum at the CM Office. They received assurances that their issues would be considered and appropriate action taken.
On the official side, authorities maintained that the relocation is a part of the riverfront development project and will proceed as per the set timeline. Municipal Commissioner Namami Bansal informed that the allotment process has been completed at the corporation level. She cited pending work by the Jal Sansthan at the flats and assured that keys would be handed over to families once this work is completed by December 15.
The standoff highlights the gap between planned urban development and the ground realities of rehabilitation. The residents have demanded an immediate halt to the relocation and insist that any rehabilitation must be carried out in proper consultation with them, addressing their legitimate concerns about safety and habitability.
