Thousands of people remained homeless and without shelter to face the biting Delhi cold on Monday, two days after more than a thousand settlements were demolished in the slums of Shakur Basti.
The demolition was conducted by the Railways with the help of the police on Saturday, with Union minister Suresh Prabhu telling the Lok Sabha on Monday that that the encroachments were a safety hazard that have been impeding development. He said the demolition was carried out after sending repeated notices to people at Shakur Basti to vacate the land.
Since the demolition, the hutment dwellers have been living in the open, at the site, under canvas tents.
After allegations that an infant died in the demolition, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Monday that no shanties will be razed unless its inhabitants are first rehoused.
Prabhu also said that the death of the seventh-month-old infant at the site had nothing to do with the demolition. The Delhi Police said the baby died due to suffocation after a heap of clothes fell on her when her parents were preparing to move out of the slum dwelling. It has registered a case of death due to negligence.
The Delhi High Court on Monday issued a notice to the Delhi government, Delhi Police and the Railways about the Shakur Basti slum demolition. The court asked for step-by-step details on what the authorities had done before the incident, reported ANI. The court also lashed out at the Railways, saying the demolition drive was inhuman. It said that Railways had not learnt from past mistakes.
The Aam Aadmi Party government in Delhi earlier ordered a magisterial inquiry into the demolition drive and the death of the six-month girl. Kejriwal on Sunday lashed out at the Railways and suspended three officials for "failing to arrange" food and shelter for those evicted. Delhi Home Minister Satyendra Jain also visited the area and announced a compensation of Rs 1 lakh to the child’s family.
Here are some pictures of Shakur Basti two days after the demolition:.
All images are courtesy of Akhil Kumar.
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The demolition was conducted by the Railways with the help of the police on Saturday, with Union minister Suresh Prabhu telling the Lok Sabha on Monday that that the encroachments were a safety hazard that have been impeding development. He said the demolition was carried out after sending repeated notices to people at Shakur Basti to vacate the land.
Since the demolition, the hutment dwellers have been living in the open, at the site, under canvas tents.
After allegations that an infant died in the demolition, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Monday that no shanties will be razed unless its inhabitants are first rehoused.
Prabhu also said that the death of the seventh-month-old infant at the site had nothing to do with the demolition. The Delhi Police said the baby died due to suffocation after a heap of clothes fell on her when her parents were preparing to move out of the slum dwelling. It has registered a case of death due to negligence.
The Delhi High Court on Monday issued a notice to the Delhi government, Delhi Police and the Railways about the Shakur Basti slum demolition. The court asked for step-by-step details on what the authorities had done before the incident, reported ANI. The court also lashed out at the Railways, saying the demolition drive was inhuman. It said that Railways had not learnt from past mistakes.
The Aam Aadmi Party government in Delhi earlier ordered a magisterial inquiry into the demolition drive and the death of the six-month girl. Kejriwal on Sunday lashed out at the Railways and suspended three officials for "failing to arrange" food and shelter for those evicted. Delhi Home Minister Satyendra Jain also visited the area and announced a compensation of Rs 1 lakh to the child’s family.
Here are some pictures of Shakur Basti two days after the demolition:.
All images are courtesy of Akhil Kumar.
