Chandigarh, Sept. 30 — With bulldozers moving into Shahpur Colony in Sector 38 West on Monday morning, Chandigarh has officially become the country’s first city without slums. Nearly 500 hutments spread over six acres, housing close to 2,000 residents, were razed in a large-scale demolition drive led by the UT Administration.
An official from the Enforcement Wing of the Estate Office said the operation began around 7 a.m. and continued through the day. “Most of the hutments have been removed,” the official confirmed, adding that fencing would be put up immediately to prevent fresh encroachment.
Deputy Commissioner Nishant Kumar Yadav had reviewed preparations for the drive a day earlier. On the ground, a force of 500 police personnel was deployed to maintain order and assist with crowd management. Eight demolition teams with JCBs and porcelain machines were pressed into service to carry out the clearance systematically.
Authorities also stationed medical teams — doctors, paramedics and ambulances — at the site to deal with any health emergencies. Most occupants had already vacated the colony in advance, carrying away their belongings. About 70 families were found eligible under the rehabilitation scheme and have been allotted flats.
The operation marks the final step in a series of eviction and demolition drives conducted over the past year. The administration has so far cleared 18 other slum clusters, reclaiming over 500 acres of government land valued at more than ₹20,000 crore.
Earlier actions included the demolition of nearly 2,500 structures at Janta Colony in Sector 25 on May 6, which freed around 10 acres of land worth ₹350 crore, and the clearance of 1,000 hutments at Sanjay Colony in Industrial Area Phase I on April 23. On June 19, officials removed Adarsh Colony between Sectors 53 and 54, reclaiming 12 acres of prime land.
The latest drive, officials noted, not only concludes the city’s anti-encroachment campaign but also sets Chandigarh apart as the first urban center in India to achieve slum-free status.
