Bhubaneswar, May 19: Bhubaneswar witnessed high drama on Tuesday as the Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) launched a major demolition drive in Kalarahanga area to clear illegal encroachments.

Over 30 unauthorized shops and houses were razed to the ground as part of a road expansion project. The action, though aimed at easing traffic congestion, left many families devastated.

Residents resisted the demolition, with some brandishing sticks, knives, and loan papers in protest.

Women were seen confronting officials with kitchen tools in hand, while others broke down in tears as their livelihoods were reduced to rubble.

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Despite repeated notices from the administration, locals had continued to occupy government land, building shops and homes that narrowed the road and caused daily traffic jams.

Officials stated that the demolition was necessary to ensure smooth movement and public safety. However, the plight of displaced families has raised concerns about rehabilitation and livelihood.

Many residents lamented that years of hard work and borrowed money had gone to waste overnight.

Previous Eviction Drives

This is not the first such action in Bhubaneswar. In April, a massive eviction drive in Shyampur Pandakudia saw 926 houses demolished.

The land, spread over 68 acres, had been earmarked for affordable housing projects. Instead, land brokers had illegally plotted and sold parcels to unsuspecting buyers for ₹2-3 lakh each. Bulldozers flattened hundreds of homes, exposing a nexus of land scams and administrative lapses.

Another demolition drive in Salia Sahi had also sparked unrest among residents, who had illegally occupied government land.

While the government maintains that such drives are essential to reclaim public land and implement development projects, questions remain about why illegal constructions were allowed to flourish for years.