A demolition drive in Khyber Pass, located in the Civil Lines area, carried out by the Land and Development Office on Sunday, left a trail of devastation that extended far beyond the physical destruction of houses and shops. It obliterated the cherished memories of residents who had called this place home for generations.
The morning calm was shattered as locals woke to the alarming sight of bulldozers lined up in their neighbourhood, poised to demolish their homes. These structures held not just their belongings but the essence of their lives, their memories intricately woven into the very walls that now lay in ruins.
Among the many hit was Bhupinder Singh Bhatia, a small shop owner whose livelihood and legacy were reduced to rubble. He stood amid the debris, gazing at the remnants of his life with despair. His small shop, a cornerstone of his existence, was now nothing more than a pile of broken bricks and shattered dreams.
“I have been living here for 70 years. I built this house and shop with my hard-earned money and today, it is gut-wrenching to see the house being demolished,” Bhatia said.
A large-scale demolition drive at Khyber Pass was also carried out last month which led to over 250 houses being razed and hundreds of residents being displaced.
Shahana Begum, 55, said she has been living in the area for decades but a demolition drive last month razed all her memories.
“Last month, they demolished my house in the Civil Lines area and today, they demolished my daughter’s house,” she said, expressing her grief over the drive that has left her with nothing.
While some of the houses and shops were demolished on Sunday, the residents of the area said many of them have received notices about demolition to be carried out in the coming days. A father of two children, Mohit Gupta is worried about his children future. They are studying in a nearby school in the area.
He said, “This is my only shop, Gupta Store, which will be demolished on August 13. I am very worried as to how I will earn and support my family.” The demolition scare has made Gupta move to Burari area for the time being.
“The rent there is so high that all my savings are spent paying it. For how long can I sustain? I have to pay the fees for children’s studies too.” he rued.
At the site, the air was dense with dust as machinery demolished buildings. Several residents were seen sitting among the rubble that was once their home.
Many of the children who have moved from the area are now returning worried for their parent’s security.
Nisha, who returned from Dubai on Saturday night after learning about the demolition of her parents’ house, was worried about her elderly parents. “Where will I take my family now? My father is not keeping well. They razed my house in no time and many useful things have been destroyed,” she said.
Nishant, 40, was in despair seeing his house being razed. He said while he had built a proper house with all the papers, no one came to their rescue. “We had all the papers for the house but now all my belongings have gone. No one came to help us. What do I do now? This was my home for all my life and now I am left with nothing,” he said.
A petition in this regard was filed in the High Court in 2010 and the court had directed that “no coercive steps be taken” against the petitioners. However, the petitioners filed an application in the matter for clarification, after authorities passed an order earlier this year threatening removal of alleged unauthorised occupation and construction from the area.
