After sitting over the issue for more than a decade, the Kalaburagi City Corporation authorities have finally acted to retrieve the government land in the heart of the city by demolishing all the encroachments, including a few temporary houses constructed on the land.
Initially, when the city corporation officials tried to demolish the encroachments in the super-market area, they had to make a hasty retreat after the people who had encroached upon these lands resisted the demolition.
Later, the officials returned with full police protection to begin demolishing the illegal constructions and other encroachment in the area. Tense atmosphere prevailed for more than two hours as the heavy earth movers and other machines did their work.
Shocked residents
The area was occupied by fruit vendors, street food vendors and a few houseless families. As the demolition progressed, tin sheets that covered the illegal constructions and vendors’ wares were strewn all over the place, and the people tried to salvage whatever they could from the demolished structures.
The plight of the houseless families, most of them iron smiths, was pitiable. Shock writ large on their face, many of them were not even in a position to speak. Tarabai, who had lost her shed in the demolition, said, “This has come as a bolt from the blue for us… where should we go now with our young children… every day it rains here and god only should save us now….”
The main grouse of the vendors and houseless families was that the authorities had not given them any notice or prior warning to allow them to make alternative arrangements.
