Delhi Congress president Devender Yadav has written to Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu urging him to stop the proposed eviction of around 310 families living near the Yamuna Bazar ghats, alleging that the move is being carried out in the name of beautification of the riverfront.
In the letter, Yadav said the families, many of whom are priests who perform cremation rituals at Nigam Bodh Ghat, have been residing in the area since the British era and depend on the cremation grounds for their livelihood.
Referring to notices reportedly issued by the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), Yadav said residents had been permitted over the decades by various government agencies to construct houses and continue living in the area due to the essential services they provide at the ghats.
“The Rekha Gupta government wants to destroy the people living near the Yamuna ghats in the name of beautification,” Yadav alleged, adding that displacing families after generations of residence and service would be unjustified.
He urged the Lieutenant Governor to intervene and protect residents from eviction, saying thousands of people depended on traditional occupations linked to the cremation grounds. He also appealed that the families be allowed to continue their vocation and remain in the area.
The Congress leader said any redevelopment or beautification project should not come at the cost of uprooting long-settled families who have historical and social ties to the Yamuna ghats.
