Bhopal: The demolition drive at Ahata Rustam Khan area remained suspended for few hours following protest by residents on Tuesday. It was only when the authorities addressed the demand of the residents that they allowed to proceed with the drive. The area has to be cleared off for development of smart road and for the same a few residential structures are to be razed down. A number of residents have been already shifted to transit camps near depot square.
The residents who have moved were yet to take all their belongings including wooden fixtures like doors and windows and when the drive began in the morning, the locals demanded the municipal staff to hold the demolition till they collect all their things. The residents demanded the civic authorities to removal the fixed doors, windows and pipelines, taps before starting the demolition. They did not let the BMC to proceed with the demolition work until their demand was met. Seeing them unrelenting, the removal gang then helped the residents to remove the doors and other fixed structures like water taps, pipelines. It was by evening that the permanent structures were bulldozed.
The area corporator Shabista Zaki said the residents only wanted the doors and water taps and pipes be removed before the drive as it would have got damaged after the houses were demolished.
