Chandigarh clears last slum: About 500 hutments face bulldozers in Sector 38 West colony

In an early morning crackdown, the Enforcement Wing of the UT Estate Office launched a massive demolition drive in Shahpur Colony, Sector 38 West, the last slum of the city.

An official of the Enforcement Wing said that drive was launched around 7 am and the operation was still on. “Most of the hutments have been removed,” he said.

After the demolition of this slum, Chandigarh will become the first slum-free city of India.

Deputy Commissioner Nishant Kumar Yadav yesterday reviewed the arrangements for the demolition drive.

Nearly 500 hutments, which have been constructed on government land, are being removed as part of the drive. A force of 500 police personnel has been deployed at the site for maintaining law and order and assisting in crowd management.

Furthermore, eight dedicated teams equipped with JCBs and porcelain machines have been pressed into service to carry out the demolition activity in a systematic and time-bound manner. After clearance, proper fencing of the acquired land will also be ensured to prevent any future encroachment.

Medical teams comprising doctors, paramedical staff, and ambulances have be deployed at the site to respond promptly in case of any eventuality or medical emergency during the operation.

Most of the illegal occupants have already removed their belongings and vacated the land. Nearly 70 families of the colony have been found to be eligible under the rehabilitation scheme and were allotted small flats.

Spread over nearly 6 acres, the slum colony with nearly 500 jhuggis, houses nearly 2,000 persons.

The UT Administration has demolished 18 of the 19 slum colonies in the city so far and reclaimed more than 500 acres of land worth over Rs 20,000 crore.

On June 19, the UT Administration had carried out an eviction and demolition drive at the Adarsh Colony slum, located between Sector 53 and 54, and reclaimed approximately 12 acres of prime government land.

On May 6, the administration had removed nearly 2,500 structures at Janta Colony in Sector 25 and reclaimed around 10 acres of government land worth Rs 350 crore. On April 23, nearly 1,000 jhuggis were razed in Sanjay Colony, Industrial Area, Phase I.