On 15th August 2025, Chandigarh’s UT Administrator announced that 55 acres of land, “freed” by the recent demolitions, including those of slums or bastis[1] would be used for “public welfare projects”, including a 400-bed regional medical hub, solar initiatives, and urban infrastructure upgrades. Reading this in context to multiple demolitions and evictions of urban poor settlements in 2025, a question I keep returning to: Public welfare for whom, if it begins with eviction? The Chandigarh demolitions are not isolated; similar reports have been emerging from other cities such as Delhi and Faridabad, among others. While evictions and demolitions are not new, what is particularly troubling is the correlation between them and the opening up of space for welfare projects, as if the sole reason many such projects were stalled was due to “unauthorised encroachment” on public land.
[Read more…] about Chandigarh and the Right to the City: Beyond Erasing SlumsProfessional and Reflective Space
Urban Governance
