NHAI to raze 500 structures for Delhi-Mumbai Expressway

Bijendra Ahlawat

Tribune News Service

Faridabad, October 9

Over 500 structures have been found to be coming in the right of way (ROW) of the upcoming 12-lane Delhi- Mumbai Expressway corridor passing through the city.

“Around 400 houses in Santosh Nagar and 30 to 40 in Rajiv Nagar, located on either side of the Budhiya Nala in Sector 31 have been identified for removal,” claimed sources in the HSVP, which has been given the task of handing over the land to the NHAI for the project.

Over 100 constructions of various nature located in other sections of the passage will also be removed, for which, notices have been issued. “We are upset as the announcement has been made to remove all structures within three to four days,” said Sanjay Kumar, who has been living there since 1985.

Residents seek rehabilitation

It is difficult for families, who have been residing here for a long time, having ration cards, voter cards and electricity connections, to vacate without rehabilitation. —Sanjay Kumar, Resident

He said it was difficult for families, who had been residing for such a long period, having ration cards, voter cards and electricity connections, to vacate without rehabilitation. “Hundreds of families are on the verge of becoming homeless,” he said.

While claiming that demolition is unlikely to take place before November 15 due to a legal stay, Virender, another resident, said people were ready to vacate if they were given alternative houses.

Admitting that a large number of constructions were to be removed, an official of the HSVP said the structures were located on the government land. “Besides houses in Santosh Nagar and Rajiv Nagar, several constructions in slum clusters located near Sectors 17, 8 and 9 need to be removed. Two petrol pumps and a water booster also be razed,” said the official.

Known as the DND-Faridabad-KMP section of the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, the 59-km passage starts from Kalindi in New Delhi and ends at the KMP Expressway interchange at Khalilpur village of Nuh district. The foundation of the project was laid in March 2019.