"Sab bikhar gaya. Ghar nahi toh kuch nahi. Kamai khatam ho gayi, bachche bimar rehte hai, aur dusro par karza badh raha hai."

[Everything is lost. Without a home, we have nothing. We cannot earn a livelihood, our children are sick all the time, and we have to borrow more and more money from others].

The residents of the informal settlement in Nanakpura Market recount their harrowing experiences, almost a year after their homes were demolished.

In July 2023, bulldozers arrived at the settlement (basti) one afternoon, razing 80 jhuggis to the ground and rendering about 400 people homeless. Despite reassurances from authorities, the jhuggis – sprawled across land owned by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) – were demolished without sufficient notice in prior. With nowhere else to go, the residents had little option but to remain on the land and rebuild their lives amid the ruins of their previous homes.

Remnants of their pucca houses are visible underneath the now-erected makeshift homes crafted using plastic sheets, bamboo, and tin. Without the security of four solid walls, enduring Delhi’s harsh weather has become more challenging. Residents complained of no relief against the cold in the winter, which led to the demise of an old man who is survived only by his wife. Relying on the community for financial support, bureaucratic errors compound her troubles; an error in her husband’s age on the death certificate will reduce the amount of pension she receives. Her story illustrates the struggles of countless others, whose lives are defined by the lack of appropriate documents.

With the demolition, the settlement’s access to electricity was also severed, exacerbating their vulnerability. As the temperature in Delhi is soaring rapidly, those living in precarious housing conditions disproportionately face the severity of heat stresses. The tin and plastic sheets of their homes build up the temperature inside their houses, making them inhabitable. This has serious implications for their health and well-being, especially for the children and the elderly. Women from the settlement expressed concern for their children who stay up crying all night under the oppressive heat. Their education also suffers, as the heat and their living conditions make them frequently ill.

Recognising the urgency to restore electrical supply in the settlement, HLRN is working with the community members to advocate for access to electricity with the concerned authorities. However, in doing so, community members are losing valuable time that would otherwise be spent engaging in earning a livelihood. Since the demolition, many have lost work, and actively advocating for basic facilities is hampering their ability to find sustainable job opportunities. The lack of electricity and a steady income will have severe consequences on the residents in adapting to the changing climate.

The case of the Nanakpura Market settlement shows the intricate ways in which the lives of the residents are unsettled by demolitions as their livelihood, health, and education are compromised, marking every day as a new struggle.