21 people evicted every hour during Covid in India: damning statistics on housing crisis

Over 2,57,700 people were forcibly evicted between March 2020 to July 2021 by the government, that is, over 505 people per day or over 21 people per hour.

A report by Housing and Land Rights Network, an advocacy group in New Delhi, highlights a grave housing crisis that heightened during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Nearly 16 million Indians live under the threat of forcible eviction from their houses and habitats. Strict lockdown curbs which restricted movement and access to remedial courses like courts aggravated the crisis for many.

49% of the total evictions carried out in 2020 were due to ostensible ‘environmental’ reasons, followed by infrastructure projects, encroachment and beautification drives. According to the report, in almost all the cases state authorities did not follow due process that dictate the national & international norms. Also, 51% of the evictions were court sanctioned.

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In 2021, along pandemic induced financial crisis, low-income families suffered the brunt of the eviction crisis as well. A preliminary analysis reveals that between 1 January and 31 July, state authorities across the country demolished at least 24,445 homes, affecting over 169,176 people. Of these, about 13,750 people were evicted during the peak of the second wave and resultant lockdowns in April and May.

The advocacy group also claims that the total number of people evicted and displaced as well as those living under the risk of eviction is much higher that their documented statistics.