Give food, clean water, livelihood to persons relocated from Bhairo Marg slums: HC to Delhi Govt.

An eviction notice earlier had asked all the slum dwellers of Bhairo Marg, near Pragati Maidan, to voluntarily demolish their dwellings or else they will be removed with the help of police

The Delhi High Court has directed authorities to provide food, clean drinking water, livelihood and transport facilities to individuals who will be relocated from the slums at Bhairo Marg here that have to be demolished.

The High Court said that though the Delhi Government has sought to make efforts to rehabilitate slum dwellers on paper, the ground reality is far from desirable.

“Due to this, this court finds it necessary to reiterate that the right to housing, being a part and parcel of the right to livelihood, health, food, clean drinking water, sewerage and transport facilities, such facilities must be provided to individuals who will be relocated to Geeta Colony, Dwarka,” a bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad said.

The court also noted that it has already been directed that an alternative shelter should be provided to the cattle staying in a cow shelter run by the petitioner organisation on the land.

The order by the Division Bench came while dismissing an appeal by a trust challenging a single judge’s decision to reject its plea against an eviction notice issued by the Public Works Department (PWD).

The eviction notice has asked all the slum dwellers of Bhairo Marg, near Pragati Maidan to voluntarily demolish their dwellings or else they will be removed with the help of police. The notice stated that the persons residing there will be sent to a shelter home in Dwarka or Geeta Colony where the maximum period of stay will be three months.

Petitioner ‘Keshaw Sanyasi Gawo Shewasharam’ said it is a registered trust and is running a cow shelter and temple at Bhairon Marg. It said it is involved in looking after old, ailing and abandoned cows in a gaushala which is situated upon the land regarding which the notice was issued.