Delhi Neighborhood Reopens After Clearing 36,000 Sq Feet

After four days behind barricades, shopkeepers near Delhi's Turkman Gate pulled up their shutters Saturday morning as traffic began flowing freely again through Asaf Ali Road.

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi had shut down the area to remove illegally built structures near the Faiz-e-Ilahi mosque. Teams demolished a community hall, guest rooms, and a dispensary that officials said violated building codes.

The operation freed up 36,428 square feet of public land. Over 500 truckloads of debris rolled out of the neighborhood since Wednesday, hauled away by 70 heavy-duty vehicles to processing facilities across the city.

Local vendor Mohammed Alam watched the last barricades come down with relief. "I suffered losses, but at least things are slowly returning to normal," he said as he reopened his shop.

The demolition wasn't without controversy. Clashes broke out between police and residents during the operation, leading to 16 arrests. Some locals expressed frustration about losing the nearby dispensary, which many families relied on for affordable healthcare.

Young parents Fareek and Sana Syed felt the impact directly. With their newborn needing regular checkups, they had to take time off work and travel across the city to reach another clinic. "The dispensary that was demolished was close by and very helpful," Sana explained.

The Bright Side

The cleared land won't stay empty for long. Municipal officials plan to hand the space over to the Horticulture Department for beautification and park development, part of the larger Ramlila Ground redevelopment project.

The new green space will give Turkman Gate residents a place to gather, children a safe area to play, and the neighborhood a breath of fresh air in a densely packed part of Old Delhi. City planners see it as an opportunity to balance urban development with community needs.

Workers carefully preserved the mosque's boundary wall during demolition, showing respect for the religious site while enforcing building regulations.

As normalcy returns to the narrow lanes around Turkman Gate, the community looks forward to trading temporary hardship for permanent public space where families can build new memories.