PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE / Dehradun
Tension prevailed at Nemi Road in Azad Colony in Dalanwala North ward on Tuesday after the Municipal Corporation of Dehradun (MCD) team launched an anti-encroachment drive in an area identified as part of a flood zone. The action was stalled by protests by residents.
The authorities began removing structures, including a community hall, a school building, a public toilet and a tubewell used for water supply in the settlement in the morning. MCD assistant municipal commissioner Vinay Pratap Singh said that the action was being taken in compliance with directions of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) to clear encroachments from riverbank flood zones. He stated that the structures fell within the notified floodplain area identified for removal. Soon after the drive began, a large number of residents gathered at the site and staged a protest, forcing authorities to suspend the demolition exercise temporarily. Former Congress MLA Rajkumar also reached the spot and opposed the action, alleging that the drive was affecting poor families who had been living in the area for decades. Resident Sunil Yadav claimed that the settlement was nearly 30 years old and had developed during the tenure of the Narayan Dutt Tiwari government in undivided Uttar Pradesh. He said that the electricity and water supply had existed in the area for years and alleged that the settlement was now being labelled a flood zone without proper verification.
Rajkumar claimed that about 250 students study at the school and questioned the attempt to remove the structure without adequate notice. He also alleged that nearby government establishments, including Assembly-related and police offices, had not faced similar action.
Singh said that the operation has been temporarily halted following local opposition and further action will be decided after discussions with stakeholders. Residents said that some houses in the area have already been affected, while many others remain at risk, as tensions continue between the administration and locals over the proposed clearance drive.
