Bhopal administration clears 34-year-old land encroachment

Authorities in Bhopal, India, conducted a major demolition drive in the Nariyal Kheda area to remove encroachments on private land. The operation, carried out by the district administration and the Municipal Corporation with heavy police presence, resulted in the destruction of 23 houses and 25 shops, totaling approximately 15,000 square feet of land.

The legal dispute dates back to 1992, when a court issued a decree in favor of the landowner. Despite the judicial order and over 50 administrative orders issued since then, the land remained occupied for 34 years, spanning the tenures of 19 different collectors.

Local residents expressed significant distress, with some claiming they had lived in the area for 40 years. Residents alleged they received no prior formal notice, stating that announcements were made only four hours before the bulldozers arrived. While some inhabitants claimed to possess electricity, water, and property documents, the administration maintained that the action was a necessary enforcement of a long-standing court order.