The Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) on 7 May 2026 issued notices directing 310 families in Yamuna Bazar to vacate the floodplain area within 15 days under the Disaster Management Act, 2005. The order describes the settlement near Nigambodh Ghat in North Delhi as an “illegal encroachment” on the Yamuna floodplains in the O-Zone area managed by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA).

According to the DDMA, the cluster of around 310 dwelling units along the Yamuna gets inundated during floods every year, posing “a serious threat to loss of human lives, cattle and property”. The order warned residents that failure to comply could lead to demolition of unauthorised structures and eviction without further notice.

Officials said the low-lying area is among the first to be submerged during monsoon flooding. The notices state that repeated flooding has required emergency evacuation and temporary rehabilitation measures in previous years, placing pressure on public resources and the exchequer.

The O-Zone along the Yamuna is designated as a protected no-construction floodplain under Delhi’s Master Plan. Authorities said the National Green Tribunal (NGT) had directed the DDA to act against encroachments on the floodplains.

A Delhi government official said the Yamuna Bazar stretch includes 32 ghats and houses around 1,100 people. Another report cited residents claiming nearly 2,000 people live in the area, including priests, boatmen, barbers, daily wage workers and tenants.

Many residents survive on informal work, including temple services, barber shops, boat operations, food carts and daily wage labour. Families living along the river said they had spent generations in the area and depended on livelihoods connected to the Yamuna, temples and Nigambodh Ghat. They also expressed concern about children’s education, healthcare and rising living costs if displaced, pleading that relocation without rehabilitation would leave them without shelter or income.

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Sunil Sharma, associated with the Yamuna Ghat Panda Association, said his family had been living near the river for over a century and that generations of priests had performed Yamuna aarti and cremation rituals at Nigambodh Ghat.

“This is not just a place for us, it is our and the city’s heritage,” he said. “This is our janmabhoomi,” another resident said, adding that they could not abandon homes and livelihoods built over generations within 15 days.

Residents claimed many priest families were allotted space near the ghats during the British era and said they possessed records, maps and utility connections proving long-term residence.

Several locals also argued that they had adapted to seasonal flooding over decades and rebuilt homes after floodwaters receded. “We live next to Maa Yamuna and amid temples. This area is flooded every year, but we know how to manage,” one local said.

Others questioned why the government was moving toward demolition instead of upgrading the settlement or providing nearby rehabilitation.

The action comes days after Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu chaired a review meeting with DDA officials on the rejuvenation and restoration of Yamuna Bazar and its ghats. Sandhu later said officials had been instructed to integrate spiritual tourism, green spaces and sustainable livelihood opportunities into the restoration plan.

During recent inspections, officials also reviewed flood mitigation measures, sanitation infrastructure, biodiversity zones and riverfront development.

Residents said they plan to challenge the eviction notices legally. Suresh Chand Sharma, president of the Yamuna Ghat Panda Association, said the residents were not opposed to surveys or action against recent encroachments, but opposed the removal of long-settled families without rehabilitation.

[DS]

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