Datanomics: House demolitions double in 7 years; rehab remains scarce

On December 29, the Karnataka government announced plans to rehabilitate residents whose houses were demolished in Kogilu, Bengaluru, amid sharp criticism from opposition parties over the demolition drive. Data from the Housing and Land Rights Network (HLRN) reveal that India witnessed 344,768 house demolitions, displacing approximately 1.6 million people between 2017 and 2023. During this period, rehabilitation was provided in only 2 to 53 per cent of eviction incidents. The proportion of houses demolished in southern states remained relatively low compared to that of northern states in 2023.

  Sharp rise in house razings  House demolitions in India rose sharply from 53,700 in 2017 to 107,449 in 2023, and during the same period, the number of people evicted also increased drastically in tandem with these demolitions. 

 

Slum clearance a major reason  Slum clearance and infrastructure projects have consistently been the two dominant drivers of slum house demolitions across most years. 

 

Highest share of evictions in Delhi  In 2023, Delhi accounted for the highest share of evictions at 53 per cent, followed by Gujarat at 30 per cent and Assam at 4 per cent. 

  Rise in court-backed evictions  The share of persons evicted due to court orders rose significantly, increasing from 17 per cent in 2017 to 50 per cent in 2023.