Alarming Rise in Forced Evictions in India: HLRN Report Reveals Devastating Impact

The Housing and Land Rights Network (HLRN) has raised alarms about the escalating crisis of forced evictions in India, as detailed in its latest report, “Forced Evictions in India: 2022 & 2023,” Muslim Mirror revealed on September 7.

According to the HLRN report, more than 150,000 homes have been demolished over the past two years, displacing approximately 740,000 people. This report, the sixth in HLRN’s series, highlights the alarming rise in state-driven demolitions and the devastating impact on India’s urban and rural poor, exacerbating issues of homelessness and poverty.

From January 2022 to December 2023, the report indicates that 515,752 individuals were evicted and 107,449 homes destroyed, marking unprecedented levels of displacement. In 2023 alone, an average of 294 homes were demolished each day, with 58 people evicted every hour. The report reveals that 31% of those affected belonged to historically marginalized groups, including Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and religious minorities. A significant portion of these evictions was conducted under the guise of slum clearance and city beautification projects, with inadequate rehabilitation measures provided to those displaced.

Delhi emerged as the region most severely impacted, with approximately 280,000 people evicted in 2023, the highest in the country. Alarmingly, 82% of documented cases in 2023 showed no resettlement or alternative housing offered, violating both Indian legal frameworks and international human rights standards.

HLRN urges the government to implement urgent measures, including an immediate moratorium on all evictions until due process is ensured, and to recognize informal settlements as legitimate housing. The organization calls for the protection of housing rights, emphasizing that justice delayed is justice denied. With nearly 17 million people living under the constant threat of eviction, the report underscores the need for immediate action to address these human rights violations and ensure that the right to adequate housing is upheld for all communities, particularly the most vulnerable.