Over 1,800 unplanned settlements lack basic services, despite promises of regularisation.
New Delhi:In the heart of the national capital, over 1,800 unauthorized colonies remain trapped in legal and infrastructural limbo—neither fully regularized nor protected from a widening wave of demolition drives that have swept through Delhi in recent months. According to civic agency estimates, nearly 40 lakh people— about one-third of Delhi’s population—live in these unplanned settlements, which were developed outside land-use regulations and urban planning norms.
These colonies gradually emerged over the decades to accommodate the city’s growing migrant and low-income populations, who found formal housing unaffordable or inaccessible. While the Pradhan Mantri–Unauthorized Colonies in Delhi Awas Adhikar Yojana (PM-UDAY) was launched in 2019 to grant ownership rights, progress has been painfully slow.
As of mid-2025, fewer than 25,000 ownership certificates have been issued out of more than 4.5 lakh applications, according to data from the Delhi Development Authority (DDA).
Despite legal protections that extend until December 2026, demolition drives have intensified. Entire settlements in the Tughlaqabad Fort area were razed under orders from the Archaeological Survey of India. Similar crackdowns were carried out in Wazirpur and along the Yamuna floodplains, citing environmental violations. In Sainik Farms—a long-contentious colony excluded from regularization—multiple homes were demolished despite residents’ pleas for relief.
Civil society groups estimate that over 27,000 people have been displaced since March this year, often with little warning or alternative shelter.
“Everything was gone in hours. The bulldozer didn’t even wait for us to gather our belongings,” said Rukhsana, who had lived in Bengali Colony for 15 years.
Even in colonies not currently facing demolition, basic civic infrastructure remains absent. A 2024 survey by the Delhi Urban Development Department revealed that nearly 50% of unauthorized colonies lack access to the city’s sewage network. In many cases, untreated wastewater flows into open drains or directly into the Yamuna River, exacerbating Delhi’s already severe pollution crisis.
While 96% of colonies now receive piped water, irregular supply, broken roads, and overstretched garbage collection services make daily life a struggle. In Sangam Vihar, South Delhi, residents report frequent waterlogging, outbreaks of vector-borne diseases, and monsoon-season flooding.
Over the years, successive governments—both at the Centre and in Delhi—have courted these colonies as a vital vote bank. In both the 2019 and 2020 elections, major political parties pledged swift ownership rights and promised infrastructure improvements.
But on the ground, progress has remained stalled.
“The regularization process is mired in bureaucracy and sluggish verification systems. Most residents lack the documents or the digital literacy to navigate the application process,” said Ananya Mehra, an urban policy researcher.
Notably, affluent unauthorized areas such as Sainik Farms and Mahendru Enclave remain ineligible for PM-UDAY benefits due to their location on government or restricted land—raising questions about uniformity and fairness in the policy’s application.
Urban experts recommend a multi-layered approach to address Delhi’s unauthorized colony crisis. This begins with streamlining PM-UDAY by simplifying documentation requirements, digitizing land records, and establishing local facilitation centers to assist residents—especially those with limited digital access.
Abhay, another urban development expert, also emphasizes the need for simultaneous infrastructure upgrades—sewage systems, drainage, paved roads, and waste management—integrated into Delhi’s Master Plan with localized blueprints for each area.
For colonies with extreme congestion or unplanned layouts where infrastructure cannot be feasibly implemented, experts propose in-situ redevelopment. This model envisions building formal vertical housing on the same land, with temporary relocation and a guaranteed return for original residents.
Without urgent reform and inclusive planning, Delhi’s unauthorized colonies will continue to strain the city’s infrastructure— and push millions further into precarity.
