Ground Report: Why Are Hundreds of Batla House Homes Marked for Demolition?

Batla House residents face bulldozer threat. 15-day notices, no rehab. Supreme Court hearing is their only hope.

Hundreds of Batla House homes in Delhi marked for demolition by DDA. No prior warning, no clarity.
A Supreme Court hearing next week could decide their fate.

(Photo: The Quint/Kamran Akhter)

“We belong to this country, we're not outsiders. If they take away our home, where will we go?”

This question echoes through the narrow lanes of Batla House in Delhi, where hundreds of families now live under the shadow of eviction. Over the past few days, several homes and shops have been marked with red Xs by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and Uttar Pradesh Irrigation Department, a signal residents say they recognize as a precursor to demolition.

''My father was born here too. We've lived here for 80 years—no one ever claimed this land. Now suddenly, we've been served a notice,'' one resident told The Quint.

From shops to multistory flats, the threat looms over residents who say they’ve paid taxes and electricity bills, hold Aadhaar and voter ID cards with the same address, built their lives here — and were never informed that the land was ‘unauthorised’.

''This 8-by-10 room is all I have—my entire life’s savings. And now they want to take this away too,'' said a local tailor, tears welling in his eyes.

While the DDA cites a Supreme Court order as justification for the notices, many residents argue that they were not given prior opportunity to prove their ownership or be rehabilitated.

Court Relief Ahead?

The Supreme Court is expected to hear the petition against the demolitions next week. Advocate Tanvi Dubey, representing affected residents, told The Quint:

Now, the court is our only hope. We have filed a petition asking the court to stay the demolitions and grant the residents a chance to be heard.

Tanvi Dubey, Advocate

Professor Sachidanand Sinha, urban planning expert and former faculty at JNU, adds: “These mass evictions in established settlements don’t solve urban development problems. They create new humanitarian ones.”