The Supreme Court has ordered the removal of about 48,000 slum areas in Delhi-NCR within three months. In its order, the Supreme Court said that slums built around the 140 km long railway tracks in Delhi-NCR should be removed. The court has also instructed that no court will give a stay on the removal of slums.

In an order on August 31, a bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra said, “If an interim order is made in respect of encroachment, which has been done near railway tracks, it will not be effective.” The Supreme Court has said in the order that work should be done in a phased manner to remove this slum. Encroachment should be removed first in the railway safety zone, which should be completed in three months.

The court additionally asserted that any political pressure and interference in the work of removing encroachments around the railway line will not be tolerated. Let us know that Justice Arun Mishra has retired on September 2.

In 2018, the Delhi High Court also issued an order to remove the slums from the safety zone of the railway track. A lot of political drama took place during that time and all political parties came out in support of the slum dwellers. After this, the petition was filed in the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court has given this order in the MC Mehta case, in which since 1985, the Supreme Court has been issuing orders from time to time on issues related to pollution in and around Delhi.

Indian Railways said in the Supreme Court that there is encroachment of slum dwellers along the 140 km long railway line in Delhi-NCR, out of which 70 km is very much along the line. There are about 48000 slums here. Railways said that the NGT had ordered in October 2018, under which a special task force was formed to remove these slums. However, due to political interference, the encroachment around the railway line has not been removed till now.

The Supreme Court ordered that a meeting of all the stakeholders of Delhi Government, Railways and the concerned municipal corporations should be held. Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Trust (DUISB) meeting should be convened next week and work should be started. Railways will bear 70% of the required amount and 30% will be given by the state government.

News Source: HindustanTimes