4 min readJun 28, 2026 09:32 AM IST
First published on: Jun 28, 2026 at 09:32 AM IST
Weeks after the Delhi government clarified that no demolition will be carried out in the Yamuna floodplain’s O-Zone area, several houses along the floodplains were still razed on Thursday, with authorities claiming that the demolished structures were not protected from punitive action. The drive had left the displaced families to grapple with an uncertain future.
Only 91 unauthorised colonies have been exempted from demolitions, as per the Delhi High Court order on May 23. On Thursday, around 30 houses at the Yamuna Bazaar were razed by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA). Earlier this month, demolitions were also carried out along Pusta Road, Pradhan Garden, Khadda Colony and Jaitpur Part-II.
Zone ‘O’ is an ecologically sensitive floodplain area where permanent construction is prohibited as per several National Green Tribunal (NGT) and High Court orders.
Ruby, 25, one among the many residents whose house was razed as part of the drive, was forced to move to a rented room nearby for her family of five. “I have two daughters. The younger one is only two years old. When they were demolishing our homes, she was crying ‘Mumma andhar jaana hein.. (I want to go inside my home).” She is now forced to pay a rent of Rs 5,000 a month for the room. “Everybody here is looking for a place to live and food to eat. We don’t know what to do. We are left helpless.”
Another resident, Rajiv Pandit, who had been living along the floodplains for decades, said, “Those who had some money could find a place to stay in rented rooms. But the majority here are labourers. Where will we go?”
Meanwhile, DDA in a response to The Indian Express said, “The actions being undertaken at Yamuna Bazaar form part of the larger floodplain restoration programme aimed at protecting the ecological integrity of the river corridor and restoring the historic ghats and floodplain areas.”
In pursuant to various court orders including the Delhi High Court and the National Green Tribunal, the body maintained that the Yamuna river floodplain is an ecologically sensitive zone and is required to be kept free from encroachment.
The authority also said that it followed all the necessary steps including issuance of public notices, site inspections and public announcements and consideration of representations received from stakeholders.
It clarified that the action was limited to “removal of unauthorized and recent constructions or encroachments identified under the approved restoration plan prepared by Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) and approved by the competent authorities. Historic ghats and heritage structures identified for preservation and restoration are proposed to be conserved and revitalized as part of the project.”
An eviction notice issued last month at Yamuna Bazaar by the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) and Additional District Magistrate (Old Delhi) noted that around 310 dwellings at the area persisted as encroachments in the form of a residential cluster. DDMA said that it fell in the O-Zone floodplain land area managed by DDA.
Citing “serious threat to human life, cattle and property” being flood-prone, it said that the resultant emergency response measures have caused a “strain on public resources and the public exchequer.”
Another public notice by the DDA listed out possible shelter homes for the residents of the Yamuna Bazar ghat. “The affected families can take the benefit of temporary shelter of Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB),” it said, citing a Delhi HC order.
Demolitions continued along Delhi's Yamuna floodplain despite the government's assurance against action in the O-Zone, with the DDA citing court orders and ecological restoration plans while displaced families struggled to find shelter. (Express Photo by Abhinav Sah) 
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