Tension in Bhubaneswar Salia Sahi as Eviction Begins
Bhubaneswar, Nov 18: Bulldozers rolled into Salia Sahi today as the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) and Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) jointly launched a large-scale eviction drive. The operation, aimed at clearing encroachments for a proposed 13-kilometre parallel road from Ekamra Kanan to Andharua, has triggered tension among residents.
Authorities confirmed that around 517 houses will be demolished between November 18 and 24. The eviction, supported by WATCO and the electricity department, is being carried out under heavy security with five platoons of police force deployed at the site.
Residents of Salia Sahi have opposed the move, raising concerns about displacement and rehabilitation. Officials, however, maintain that the project is critical for Bhubaneswar’s urban infrastructure expansion.
This is not the first such drive in the area; earlier attempts by BMC and BDA had also faced resistance. The current operation underscores the city’s push to balance development with social challenges in one of its largest slum clusters.
