Dehradun: As part of the court-ordered demolition drive across the city, municipal authorities have served 1,600 notices to slum dwellers along the Rispana riverbed here on Wednesday.Officials said that the works of identifying encroachments and demolition are going on. The court had given civic body authorities three months time to evict encroachers on the Rispana riverbed. An official from the municipal corporation, who did not wish to be identified, said, “We have served 1,600 notices so far and the remaining will be covered soon.”However, slum dwellers in the area have claimed that they are being targeted wrongfully despite the recent announcement that the corporation would collect house tax from them. Muhammad Nawaz, a resident of Nai Basti, said, “We have been living here for decades. How can they just serve notice without any plans for rehabilitation?” Mukesh Kumar, a resident of Brahmapuri, said, “We have submitted all documents to the corporation as well as the house tax. How can they demolish our homes after collecting taxes?”However, officials involved in the demolition drive said that they are only implementing the court’s order and have no choice but to raze the shanties.Meanwhile, a group of slum dwellers under the aegis of Jan Hastakshep would submit 2000 letters written by the residents to chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat on Thursday.

Stay updated with all the Dehradun Latest News headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.