Davangere civic body demolishes 16 houses built on encroached park land

Davangere: The Davangere City Municipal Corporation (DCMC) on Tuesday carried out a demolition drive to clear 16 houses that were allegedly built by encroaching upon a public park in Vijayanagar locality. The operation was executed using JCB machines amid tight police security, triggering protests and emotional scenes at the site.

According to civic officials, the houses had been constructed on park land located in Vijayanagar, off Kondajji Road. The land was originally earmarked for public use as a park under the city’s layout plan. After verifying records and confirming encroachment, the corporation had issued directions to vacate the land and remove the illegal structures.

Officials said that three of the houses were demolished a few days ago, while time was granted to the remaining occupants to clear the structures voluntarily. However, as the residents failed to comply within the stipulated deadline, the corporation proceeded with the demolition of the remaining 16 houses on Tuesday.

The demolition, however, was met with stiff resistance from several families residing in the area. Residents gathered at the site, raising objections and accusing the authorities of acting in haste and without due process. Police personnel were deployed to prevent law and order issues as tensions escalated during the operation.

Ramappa, one of the house owners, claimed that his family had been living on the land for over 25 years. “We built our houses here decades ago on what we believed was our own land. We have electricity bills, water bills and have even paid property tax regularly. For the past five months, officials have suddenly started claiming that this is government land and a park area,” he alleged.

Residents further accused the municipal authorities of carrying out the demolition without serving proper notices. “No prior notice was given to us. Women were forcibly dragged out of the houses by the police, and we were treated inhumanely. Our lives have been pushed onto the streets,” some residents said, breaking down during the operation.

Civic officials, however, maintained that all procedures were followed and that adequate time was provided to vacate the encroached land.

They reiterated that public parks cannot be allowed to be occupied illegally, as they are meant for community use.

The incident has once again highlighted the growing tension between urban development authorities and residents living on disputed land, with calls growing louder for clearer rehabilitation policies and transparent communication before such eviction drives are carried out.