It Took a Lifetime to Build, Moments to Demolish’: 400 Families Seek Rehabilitation After Bulldozer Action.

 In a massive demolition drive, around 400 poor families were evicted after bulldozers razed their homes, leaving the elderly, women, and children out on the streets under the open sky.

The affected residents, many of whom claim to have lived in the area for 40–50 years with official documents and papers, say their plight has gone unnoticed.

 “It takes a lifetime to settle a house, but only a few moments to destroy the settlements,” said one displaced resident. “Today the old, women, and children are sitting on the streets — if they go, where will they go?”

Key demands from the affected families:

Immediate rehabilitation: “The government does not have a shortage of land. These families should be given respectable housing.”

Action against officials: “If the government says it was illegal encroachment, when will corrupt officials and employees who allowed them to stay for years be held accountable? Those who took bribes, who enjoyed the ‘cream’, when will the bulldozer run on their homes?”

Basic facilities: Urgent arrangement of treatment, shelter, and essential services for displaced families.

The question of justice: Protesters allege a double standard — “Strictness for the poor and silence on the corrupt — this cannot be justice.” They have appealed to the government to act on humanitarian grounds and ensure rehabilitation without delay.

 Officials have not yet issued a detailed statement on the demolition. Demolition drives in several states have previously cited “illegal encroachment” on government land, often leading to similar protests over rehabilitation.

Civil rights groups say evictions must follow Supreme Court guidelines on prior notice, survey, and rehabilitation for long-term occupants. As of Wednesday evening, most families remained on the roadside with their salvaged belongings.

 Local activists have demanded a time-bound rehabilitation plan and a probe into how settlements existed for decades if they were illegal.