The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) rolled its bulldozers through the illegal settlement at Yamuna Bazar on Thursday amid heavy security. The area is classified as part of the Yamuna floodplain and falls within Delhi’s protected O-zone. As bulldozers moved in, residents scrambled to salvage their belongings, Hindustan Times reported.

Eviction notices were reportedly issued to 310 families in the colony, giving residents 15 days to vacate. According to the notice, the settlement was classified as an “illegal encroachment” on the Yamuna floodplains in the O-zone, an environmentally sensitive area where construction is strictly prohibited.

The action has brought renewed focus on Delhi’s O-zone, where the push to restore the Yamuna floodplain has run into the reality of long-standing settlements, court orders and competing political assurances.

What is the O-zone in Delhi?

The Master Plan prohibits most residential development in the O-zone. Courts have also repeatedly directed authorities to prevent fresh encroachments and unauthorised construction in the area.

The floodplain now contains several settlements across colonies such as Jharoda, Sangam Vihar, Wazirabad, Jagatpur, Noor Colony, Deepanshu Colony and Milan Vihar. Signboards have come up in many colonies, creating anxiety among residents who fear action by authorities.

According to the National Green Tribunal (NGT), about 230,000 households in the zone were not connected to a sewer network, implying that sewage from these areas was flowing untreated into the Yamuna.

What’s the Delhi government plan?

According to DDA submissions before the NGT, the long-term objective is to restore the ecological character of the O-zone by preventing further construction. Authorities have proposed environmental restoration measures such as afforestation, biodiversity parks and green recreational spaces where feasible.

The legal position, however, remains restrictive. In its May 26 order, the Delhi High Court ruled that colonies in the zone were not eligible for regularisation and said no ownership rights were being granted. It noted that the existence of residential areas in the eco-sensitive zone “would be completely impermissible”. The court is set to hear the matter again in July.

The move is expected to benefit around 4-4.5 million residents by extending legal property rights and removing mandatory layout-plan requirements. However, the policy does not apply to settlements falling in the O-zone and some affluent colonies such as Sainik Farms.

The O-zone, therefore, remains one of the few categories of unauthorised settlements excluded from the Centre’s regularisation push. Residents are caught between environmental protection rules, court orders, demolition notices and political assurances that existing homes will not be touched.