Facing displacement from homes of decades, Delhi's Khyber Pass residents live in anxiety

New Delhi, Sep 12 (PTI) Kundan Arya is among the hundreds of Khyber Pass residents in north Delhi spending each day in anxiety after being asked to vacate their homes by this month end.

"As a driver with limited income, I am concerned about providing for my family of seven and the potential disruption to my children's education. If the government would have at least provided us with compensation, it would have helped us manage the situation," Arya told PTI over phone.

He said his family had lived in the area for four generations.

Locals said the authorities warned that they would launch a demolition drive if they failed to vacate the premises.

Ajai Kumar, another local who works as a driver, said his daughters would lose out on an academic year if they were forced to move.

"My daughters will have to stay at home for a year because no school will admit them mid-session. They are studying in a nearby school but we will have to shift to another location that will be far from here. With meagre means, I will not be able to afford the expenses of paying rent and for their education," he said.

Amit Negi, his family's sole breadwinner, is anxious about losing his job if forced to relocate.

"We have been living here for 35 years and now we have to leave. We had our own house, so it was not difficult to manage. Now, with my brother's education and parents' treatment, there will be the added pressure of paying rent," he said.

Last month, the Land and Development Office conducted a drive in the same locality, demolishing several shops and houses. PTI SHB SZM