New Delhi: The Delhi government on Sunday carried out a major demolition drive in the Haiderpur village area of Shalimar Bagh to implement a Supreme Court decision against unauthorised constructions on public Right of Way.
District Magistrate (DM) of Central-North District S.S. Parihar said that the action was being carried out in compliance with court orders.
143 Illegal Structures Identified in Joint Survey
In the joint survey conducted on January 10, 2026, it was found that a total of 143 unauthorised permanent (pucca) constructions exist within the prescribed 30-meter Right of Way, he said.
He said the land in question is acquired government land, which is designated as a public road in the Master Plan of the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and forms a part of the prescribed Right of Way of Road No. 320.
The administration has clarified that this action will continue until all illegal structures located in the designated area are removed and land is made available for the road widening project.
He said that this road is part of a vital traffic corridor connecting the Shalimar Bagh Railway Under Bridge (RUB) to the Outer Ring Road.
Key Road Project and Traffic Impact
This route connects the Ring Road, Azadpur, Shalimar Bagh, and surrounding large residential, commercial, and institutional areas, he said, adding that it ensures access to hospitals, government offices, and developing administrative complexes.
He added that the current width of the road has been severely affected due to encroachments, creating regular traffic jam situations and causing movement difficulties for ambulances, fire brigade vehicles, and other emergency services.
Legal Process, Surveys and Court Clearance
According to the DM, the acquisition of the land in question was initiated for the planned development of Delhi through notifications in the years 1959 and 1961.
The declaration of land acquisition was issued in 1966, and Award Nos. 40/1980-81 and 50/1980-81 were announced in 1980. Possession of the land was taken in July 1980, and compensation was also deposited in 1981, completing the process over four decades ago.
Parihar stated that in 2025, a scientific demarcation was carried out jointly by DDA, Revenue Department, Land and Building Department, and PWD using Total Station Method (TSM) technology.
The Delhi High Court dismissed a petition on April 6, 2026, and on May 29, 2026, the Supreme Court also cleared the decks for encroachment removal.