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This is an archive article published on June 12, 2023

Shelter homes demolition: 3 months on, those displaced struggle to find work, a place to stay

Those who were relocated to other shelters complained of being geographically and economically displaced — the eight shelters used to function as a labour chowk for those who stayed there.

delhi Shelter homes demolition, Shelter homes demolition, Kashmere Gate ISBT, Yamuna, Delhi news, New Delhi, Indian Express, current affairs8 shelter homes in Yamuna Pushta were demolished in March
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Shelter homes demolition: 3 months on, those displaced struggle to find work, a place to stay
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For 12 years, Satish Sharma would return from work to sleep at a Delhi government-run shelter home close to the Yamuna. Three months ago, however, the home, along with seven others near Kashmere Gate ISBT, was demolished.

The 34-year-old, who has been living on the footpath since March, said, “After working all day as a waiter at parties and weddings, I would come to the shelter to sleep… I lost everything I owned during the demolition — three pairs of clothes, a tiffin box, my Aadhaar card, and some money.”

The Yamuna Pushta shelters were set up by the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board and managed by NGOs. The demolition drive was carried out by DUSIB after it received a notice from the Delhi Development Authority, as the shelter was built on its land.

According to Sharma, while several of those who used to stay at the shelter homes have returned to their villages, others sleep on the streets like him. However, he alleged police drive them away. “Everywhere we go, they beat us up,” he said.

Some people claimed they were only given a vague warning days before the drive, others said they were not informed at all.

A total of 570 homeless people, including beggars, were relocated to shelter homes in Geeta Colony, Avantika, Rohini, and Dwarka Sector 3. Those who were relocated to other shelters complained of being geographically and economically displaced — the eight shelters used to function as a labour chowk for those who stayed there.

Ravi Kumar (45), who is currently living at the Geeta Colony homeless shelter, had returned from Panipat to find all his belongings buried under rubble. “I came from the railway station to find all my possessions were gone; left without a roof, I had to return to the railway station to spend the night,” he said.

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He and 10 others from the shelter go to the Yamuna Bank area every day looking for work. “Wedding contractors used to come to the shelters and hire us; we still go there every day hoping they will hire us,” Kumar said.

Others claimed they were not relocated and forced to stay on the footpaths. Mohammad Sahil (29) claimed, “I used to work as a waiter and earn Rs 600 a day, but now authorities are telling us to clean the river or leave… they only pay us Rs 400 a day for the work we do… we don’t want anything, we just want a space to stay.”

When contacted, DUSIB member Bipin Rai said the board had opened a new shelter in Dwarka to accommodate everyone who was displaced but many didn’t want to relocate that far. He also said the shelter should have remained at Yamuna Pushta nonetheless. “There should have been a shelter over there, DUSIB’s responsibility is to create shelter (homes), not break them.”

When asked about removal of occupants from Yamuna floodplains, L-G V K Saxena had earlier said encroachment on the eco-sensitive zone can’t be condoned.

Saman Husain is a Correspondent at The Indian Express. Based in New Delhi, she is an emerging voice in political journalism, reporting on civic governance, elections, migration, and the social consequences of policy, with a focus on ground-reporting across Delhi-NCR and western Uttar Pradesh. Professional Profile Education: She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science (Honours) from Kirori Mal College, University of Delhi, and is an alumna of the Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), Chennai. Core Beats: Her reporting focuses on the national capital’s governance and politics. She specializes in Delhi’s civic administration and the city units of the BJP, AAP and Congress. In western Uttar Pradesh, she mostly reports on crime. Specialization: She has a keen interest in electoral processes and politics — her recent contributions include work on electoral roll revisions. Recent Notable Articles (since July 2025) Her recent work reflects a strong show-not-tell approach to storytelling, combining narrative reporting with political and historical context: 1. Politics: “On the banks of the Yamuna, a political tussle for Purvanchali support” (October 6): A report on how migration histories shaped electoral strategies in Delhi before the Bihar elections. “Explained: How Delhi’s natural drainage vanished gradually over the centuries” (September 29): An explanatory piece tracing the historical reasons that eventually led to the erosion of Delhi’s rivers and its impact on perrenial flooding. 2. Longforms “Four weddings, three funerals: How a Uttar Pradesh man swindled insurance companies” (October 7): A long-read reconstructing a chilling fraud by a man who killed three of his family members, including both his parents for insurance proceeds. His fourth wife discovered his fraud… “How Ghaziabad conman operated fake embassy of a country that doesn’t exist — for 9 years” (July 27) : A story on bizarre fraud operation and the institutional blind spots that enabled it. 3. Crime and Justice: “He was 8 when his father was killed. Fifteen years later, in UP’s Shamli, he took revenge” (October 18): A deeply reported crime story tracing cycles of violence, memory and justice in rural Uttar Pradesh. “Who killed 19 girls in Nithari? With the SC rejecting appeals, there are no answers and no closure” (July 31): A report capturing the long legal and emotional aftermath of one of India’s most chilling unsolved criminal cases. 4. Policy Impact “At Manthan, over US tariffs, Delhi-NCR’s apparel industry brainstorms solutions” (September 8) and “Trump’s 50% tariff begins to bite: Agra’s leather belt feels the impact” (August 13) : Reports documenting how global trade decisions ripple through local industries, workers and exporters. Signature Style Saman is recognized for her grassroots storytelling. Her articles often focus on the "people behind the policy". She is particularly skilled at taking mundane administrative processes and turning them into compelling human narratives. X (Twitter): @SamanHusain9 ... Read More

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