Jayadev Vihar-Nandankanan parallel road construction triggers large-scale eviction in Bhubaneswar

The start of the construction of the Jayadev Vihar-Nandankanan left parallel road in Bhubaneswar has led to the eviction of dozens of households in Salia Sahi, starting Saturday.

Sources reported that the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) authorities are moving forward with plans for a 200-foot-wide thoroughfare aimed at easing traffic in the city’s central areas.

Accordingly, bulldozers were deployed on Saturday morning to clear homes in a drive that is expected to continue through Sunday. Reports added that around 274 families, including those built under the Buddha Vihar Affordable Housing Scheme, were directly affected.

Eviction & Relocation Process

The joint team of the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) and Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) began evictions, dismantling homes one by one.

Officials ensured that residents who were allotted houses under the scheme were relocated before demolition. Families who could not afford the prescribed Rs 1.5 lakh fees for the housing units were offered loan arrangements.

Urban Development Minister Krushna Chandra Mohapatra said, “After the relocation of all affected families, the road construction will commence. The plan is to ensure that Bhubaneswar becomes a slum-free city, and the left parallel road is an essential part of this vision.”

He also added that no resident, including those being evicted, will face any troubles. “Those being evicted have been provided with alternate housing with flats as cheap as Rs 1.5 lakhs. Further, those who cannot pay the sum at once can do so in instalments,” he added.

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Residents Express Distress

Residents, however, expressed deep distress over the eviction process. “We had a three-storey house here that was demolished. They had sent us notices, but we had not moved to the new locations because of our attachment to this place,” said an affected woman.

Another long-time resident shared, “We have been residing here since the ’90s. We were aware that a demolition would take place, but the attachment to this place was why we had not moved out. We finally did it under pressure now.” 

Several residents described watching homes they had lived in for decades being reduced to rubble, with emotional memories of their families and past lives lost in the process.

Impact On Families And Communities

Officials estimate that approximately 600 families in Salia Sahi will be affected by the construction of the parallel road. Minister Mohapatra emphasised that more than 500 forced evictions would receive special attention, and relocation would precede any construction work.

The allotment of new homes under the Sulabh Awas Yojana for the relocated families involved survey verification and documentation checks.

During the eviction, authorities deployed a platoon of police personnel and a women’s police section to manage law and order.

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Officials Confirm Road Timeline

Law Minister Prithviraj Harichandan stated, “All displaced families will first be provided housing, and then the evictions will proceed. From November 1, the finalisation of the left parallel road project will begin. We anticipate construction to be completed by December or January, after all relocations are done.”

Residents and authorities both expressed hope that once completed, the road would improve traffic management and contribute to slum-free urban development of the state capital.