The team comprising LIT staff, police personnel and an executive magistrate, returned after having failed in their task. The team later came back and took down a written assurance from the dwellers to demolish their structures on their own before February 20. The slum dwellers however stated that they would not vacate the place until given alternative plots.

While police personnel camped the site of demolition since morning, high drama followed after the LIT team arrived at 3 pm, giving ample time to the dwellers to gather in large number and build up the resistance. At 5 pm, when the drive finally began, people lay in front of the bulldozers to protest against the drive. Later, executive magistrate Tarsem Mittal, along with LIT administrator Mohinder Pal, ordered the dwellers to vacate the slums on their own.

One of the protesters Ashok Kumar said, “We have been living here for the last many years and were assured by various political parties of alternative plots. We will not allowed us to be displaced and that too in winters.”

Dara Taank, a Dalit leader said, “Whether the LIT officials take anything in writing or not, we have no plans to leave this place.”

Talking to Newsline, LIT superintending engineer A K Kansal said, “The residents of this area had filed a writ petition in PSHRC following which the SSP, LIT administrator and DC had to appear in person before the commission. As per the orders of the commission, we have to remove the slums from parks before February 20.”

The last demolition activity was carried out in 2006 on the slums located opposite the city centre project. Following high drama and open support from some Congress leaders, the drive had to be terminated. After this, even more slums came up at the LIT parks due to which the green belt could not be further developed.