Household belongings of displaced families were bundled and kept outside on Saturday, a day after civic authorities demolished over 150 houses during a demolition drive at Kogil in Yelahanka. | Photo credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
While some women said they did not drink water all day because there were no toilets left after their houses were demolished, others spoke of the difficulty of breastfeeding their children without anywhere to sit.
Meanwhile, men in the area said they fear the loans they took to meet daily needs are now left with debts but no shelter. For families in Kogilu Layout, several problems emerged simultaneously after families living in informal settlements became homeless.
On December 20, government agencies demolished over 150 houses in Fakeer Colony and part of Waseem Layout in Kogilu Layout, Yelahanka, leaving about 500 people homeless. Without alternative accommodation, many families stayed at a nearby government Urdu school, where they stayed over the weekend. But residents said they now fear they will be asked to leave the school when it reopens on Monday morning, leaving them homeless once again.
The uncertainty also exacerbated the financial stress many families were already under. Several men said they had taken out high-interest loans over the years to meet daily expenses, medical needs or temporary housing. With the demolition, they are said to have been left with debts and no shelter. “Just last month, I took a loan of ₹3,000. I sold my two-wheeler to pay off part of it. Now there is no house and the loan is still there,” said 53-year-old Mohammed Zaishan, adding that much of what families earn from daily wages, housework or alms-seeking goes towards loan repayments.
Several women told The Hindu that they were menstruating but had no access to sanitary products, clean clothes or other space as all their belongings were destroyed. “Everything was inside the house. We don’t even have spare clothes. We all avoided drinking water for hours because there were no toilets left after the demolition. If we drink water, where will we go?” Soukanya M., a native of Bagepalli, who works as a daily laborer in Bengaluru, said as she fed her three-month-old baby.
The families said the school children lost their books and certificates during the demolition drive. Bhanupriya, an LLB student, said all her study material, including her examination identity card, was buried under the rubble. “My exam is on Monday and I don’t even have my ID. We are trying to reach out to anyone who can help to come to the exam, she said. They also pointed to the children who were exposed to the cold and asked, “Does the government have no humanity? It is the height of winter, we have no roof, our children are sick, and we have no blankets.’
The displaced residents also protested outside the office of MLA for Byatarayanapura Krishna Byre Gowda, demanding alternative accommodation and assistance. However, residents said Mr Gowda did not address their concerns and asked them to come back again on Monday. They argued that their address was mentioned on electricity meters, Aadhaar and ration cards and asked how the government can now label them as illegal residents.
NGO findings highlight vulnerability
An assessment conducted by the NGO Sangama among 34 households of the Fakeer community shows that while most families have basic identity documents, access to welfare and welfare systems remains extremely limited. Additionally, the data highlights that the families whose homes were razed were long-term residents with verified identities, not transient or undocumented residents.
The survey found near-universal Aadhaar coverage, with 33 out of 34 households and 29 families having their own voter ID cards enrolled. As many as 25 households have PAN cards while only 21 families have bank accounts.
Good living conditions and health protection of workers are minimal. Only one resident holds an E-Shram card despite widespread informal employment, and only eight households are covered by health insurance schemes such as Ayushman Bharat. Only 15 households have proof of income and caste certificate, which is essential for access to education and welfare benefits, leaving about 19 households without documents needed for school admissions, housing programs and reservation benefits.
Published – 21 Dec 2025 19:15 IST
