Yamuna Bazaar Demolition Leaves Displaced Families Without Addresses for SIR Forms

Hundreds of displaced families in the Yamuna Bazaar area of Delhi are struggling to secure housing stability and official documentation following a Delhi Development Authority (DDA) demolition drive. The demolition, which took place on June 25, 2026, between Ghat No. 2 and 32 to clear encroachments, has left approximately 80 families without permanent addresses, complicating their efforts to complete Special Intensive Revision (SIR) forms.

Following the DDA action, the displaced residents were asked to move to nearby shelter homes. However, families have declined to live in them, stating that the shelters are unsafe and unsuitable, particularly for households with women.

As a result, the displaced families are now grappling with soaring rents and severe uncertainty over future rehabilitation. The loss of a permanent address has also disrupted their ability to fill out official SIR papers, leaving their administrative status in limbo.

Among those affected is 60-year-old Usha Devi, whose late husband was a priest at a temple on one of the ghats, where he died while performing puja. Her family managed to move to a flat in Ankur Vihar, an option she noted was only possible because three of her children are doing well financially. However, she stressed that most other displaced families in the area cannot afford such accommodations.

Her son continues to work as a priest at the temple. Despite moving, Usha Devi still visits the river banks daily. "I come here every evening after the demolition and spend some time on the banks of Yamuna. It gives me peace," she said.

For generations, families of priests have lived on the Yamuna's banks, and the demolition has disrupted both their homes and their traditional way of life. Despite being displaced, many residents continue to return to the ghats every evening, highlighting their emotional connection to the river while they await a resolution to their housing crisis.