Appeal to Delay the Demolition of Destitute Sanctuary

The future of a haven that grants refuge to New Delhi's destitute is at stake. Due to new land developments by the Delhi Development Authority, there is a possibility that Sewa Ashram Rehabilitation Centre and its buildings will be demolished.

The unique community of Sewa Ashram, located in Narela, offers free health care and long-term rehabilitation for those who cannot access services offered through the public health system. The centre is staffed by a team of ex-patients who are guided, trained and facilitated by on-site professionals; offering hospitality to the sick, poor, mentally ill and those abandoned on the roadsides of Delhi.

Sewa Ashram has been notified that the demolition process could begin anywhere between today and two months from now. The new city development put on by the DDA is said to include developments such as high-rise dwellings and a shopping district, while 120 of Delhi’s poorest will end up homeless and stripped of basic human privileges such as receiving free medical care and living in an atmosphere geared toward enriching others' lives with compassion and hope.

Professional partners and lawyers representing the property rights of the residential community have teamed up with Sewa Ashram staff in the quest for an extension of time to allow for a suitable transition off their current land. Out of all potential sites scouted, the management claims that the most suitable land for relocation is in the district of Burari, which is 30 minutes away from Yamuna Bazaar, one of New Delhi's most poverty-stricken areas.

Sewa Ashram will receive insufficient re-imbursement from the DDA due to sky-rocketing land prices over the past years. Therefore, Sewa Ashram is in the process of submitting appeals to Delhi government officials in the hope of obtaining a sufficient delay of the demolition, giving them time to raise funds to purchase new land and begin building a new home for the destitute of Delhi.

Regardless of the final outcome of this process those who will either benefit or suffer the most by these decisions will be Delhis’ most vulnerable citizens, the destitute.

For more information on the centre and its fight to delay the demolition project or to request Sewa Ashrams financial information, please contact Jessica at 98 106 204 52 or go to Sewa Ashram.

Sewa Ashram is registered as a charitable society under the name ‘Delhi House Society’, which is a registered charitable society under the government of N.C.T Delhi, Reg. No. S-35565. Delhi House was the name of the original house for the destitute founded in 1997.