The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) stopped its plan to demolish parts of Bhalswa Dairy Colony on Tuesday because thousands of residents protested against it.
The MCD had started the demolition after a Delhi High Court order. The court had asked the MCD to move the dairies in Bhalswa to a new location 20 km away, called Ghogha Dairy Colony, within four weeks. This was due to concerns that the milk quality was being affected because the cows were feeding on garbage from nearby landfills.
When the MCD brought bulldozers to start the demolition, around 10,000 to 15,000 people gathered to stop it. Because of this, the demolition could not continue. The MCD said they would resume the demolition after August 15, once they have more police officers to help control the situation.
Bhalswa Dairy Colony, which has been in North Delhi since 1976, has dairy plots that were originally meant for cattle. However, some of these plots are now used for homes, shops, and other businesses, which is against the original rules.
On August 6, the MCD had given a three-day notice to people using these plots illegally. They had found that many of the plots were being used for purposes other than dairy farming.
Residents argued that they were being unfairly blamed for waste problems caused by the Bhalswa landfill, which has been around since 1994. When the MCD's bulldozers arrived, the residents at Gujjar Chowk successfully blocked the demolition.
