35-year-old slum razed in Sirsa, families evicted

In a controversial eviction drive, local authorities on Friday demolished around 20 slum huts that had stood illegally for over 35 years on Haryana Shehri Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP) commercial land in Kalanwali town, Sirsa. The action, carried out under heavy police presence, left dozens of poor families homeless just days before Diwali.

The demolition was led by Duty Magistrate Ravi Kamboj (SDO, Electricity Department, Rori) and a demolition squad under HSVP officials. According to officials, the land is under legal dispute, with local shopkeepers having filed a writ petition in the High Court.

As soon as earth-moving machines arrived around noon, panic spread among the slum dwellers. Despite appeals for more time until after Diwali, the authorities issued a final warning, asking residents to remove their belongings. Minutes later, bulldozers razed the makeshift huts.

Some families managed to salvage belongings, while others lost everything as their homes were flattened. Protest was minimal, as a large number of police and women officers stood guard during the operation.

The residents, many of whom claim to have lived there for 35–40 years, expressed anger and helplessness. “We were promised houses and land during elections. Instead, our homes were destroyed,” said one tearful woman. “When we came here, this land was empty and unused. Now that shops and buildings worth crores have come up, we are being pushed out.”

Residents also alleged discrimination in enforcement. “Why is action only taken against the poor?” questioned one slum dweller. “There are permanent and temporary encroachments all over town—in Bhagat Singh Market, near the railway crossing and other areas—but no bulldozers go there.”

When asked about similar illegal occupations elsewhere in the city, HSVP officials, including SDO Ramesh Kumar and JE Vinod Kumar, gave vague responses. They said notices would be issued to others in due time but offered no concrete plan or explanation.

The residents claimed that despite being long-term voters from the area, no alternative housing or relocation plan was offered. “We have voter IDs here, but still we’re treated like outsiders,” a man said.