‘Where will we find work… can’t settle 45 km away’: Tension palpable at slum cluster near PM’s residence after eviction notices served
Residents of BR Camp, Masjid Camp and DID Camp in Lutyens’ Delhi face eviction by March 6 after receiving notices to relocate to Savda Ghevra, nearly 45 km away.
In the heart of the Capital, where diplomatic bungalows, government institutions and manicured avenues define the landscape, three jhuggi clusters — BR Camp, Masjid Camp and DID Camp, all located within a kilometre of one another in Lutyens’ Delhi — were served eviction notices on Thursday, setting March 6 as the deadline for residents to vacate their homes.
The Indian Express on Friday visited the DID Camp where many said they were struggling with multiple questions related to their survival. “Where will we find work… 10-15 km is understandable but how can we go and settle 45 km away?” asked Sunita Devi, a woman in her 40s who works as a house help.
The residents here said that they were served a notice on Thursday by the Land and Development Office (L&DO) of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) to evict their houses by March 6, and take possession of allocated flats in North West Delhi’s Savda Ghevra, about 45 km away.
Guddu Ansari, who claims to have been a resident of the area for over 30 years, said, “English humein aati nahi hai. Ek sign karne se galat ho jaata hai sab… par phir bhi humne kar diya (We don’t know English. One sign can ruin it all but we did it anyway),” he said, adding that he and many fellow residents signed documents served by officials on Thursday.
Residents added that officials indicated they would return on Monday to complete formalities. The visits by officials, they said, date back to January 2024, when authorities conducted what was described as a survey to determine the number of residents living in the clusters.
Families said they have to pay monthly instalments of Rs. 5,000 to gain ownership of the allotted flats and the livelihood opportunities near the new site remain uncertain. Sonu Yadav, a momo vendor who operates outside the DID Camp, asked, “Yahan bikri ho jaati hai. Wahan kaun khareedega mere momos? (I earn my livelihood here… Who will buy my momos there?”
Story continues below this ad
Despite living under tin-sheet roofs, surrounded by kuccha walls, informal jobs in the area, residents said, often pay better due to the proximity to affluent neighbourhoods. Several women shared they work as domestic help in nearby bungalows, while men said they have been employed as horse caretakers and workers at the Race Course and other establishments. The roads here are wide and their slum surroundings are clean with wide internal roads, they added.
Their children from the camps attend schools in and around Central Delhi, including Navyug School, Air Force School, Lions Vidya Mandir and other institutions administered by the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) near Mandir Marg and Ashoka Hotel.
For many families, the temporary shelters have been homes for decades. Madan Lal (64) said that the area was little more than a forest with a few scattered horse stables in 1940s and 50s.
Over the decades, their settlement grew as the Capital developed, he recollected. “Water supply was given when Rajesh Khanna was the MP,” he recalled, and added,
The Prime Minister’s Residence, 7, Lok Kalyan Marg, is located just a few kilometres from the slums. A notice for rehabilitation had been issued to all residents on October 29, 2025, which was then challenged in the Delhi High Court in November.
In its order on November 13, 2025, the High Court had asked for a reply from the government and said: “…In the meantime, the petitioners shall not be evicted without adhering to the procedural safeguards”.
At the hearing on January 13, the government sought another four weeks to reply. The High Court ordered the matter to be listed on May 13 and directed that its November 13 interim order will remain in force till then.
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
