CATEGORY : SOCIAL DESIGN / SYSTEMS DESIGN / POLICY
ABOUT CHILLA KHADAR
Chilla Khadar is a large settlement situated in the Yamuna Floodplains, near Mayur Vihar in Delhi. As per secondary research data, the Khadar area experiences seasonal flooding during the monsoon period after the Yamuna's waters are released at the HathniKund Barrage in Haryana. The aim for visiting the community at Chilla Khadar was to understand how the community living there is affected by this seasonal flooding.
PROJECT SUMMARY
The aim of this project is to create a policy for 'improving the security' of belongings for the people of Chilla Khadar in times of flooding. The biggest obstacle in achieving this goal is the legal status of the land. As per several court orders, National Green Tribunal orders and the Delhi Master Plan 2041, habitation and agriculture in the floodplains of Yamuna are not permitted. In light of this, the problem at hand requires a dynamic solution which can ensure security for people both, in the short term and the long term. A short term solution will be able to provide immediate relief from the problem, whereas the long term solution takes a more permanent approach to ensuring security in a place where it is virtually impossible to live. This requires one to imagine the concept of tenure security more creatively and how this can be guaranteed through the implementation of policy. In the duration of this project, several visits were made to the site of Chilla Khadar to get a better understanding of location and land use. Several interviews were also conducted with the residents to gain insights into the problems they face in times of disaster and the ways they’ve devised to overcome these. After understanding the problems at the ground level, extensive research was done to understand legalities behind those problems and how policies could be implemented to cope with them. During the research it was found that the residents take extensive measures to secure their belongings in times of floods, which involves evacuating every last belonging to the nearest flyover (high ground and flood safe) by a tedious and time consuming process. It was also found that because of the legal status of the land, the residents could not invest in flood proof permanent building solutions for the fear of eviction by the authorities. This required the devising of sustainable and realistic solutions that could alleviate the risks of flooding with immediate effect while also thinking about a long term permanent solution.
UNDERSTANDING LOSS THROUGH THE EXPERIENCE OF FLOODS
Disaster (Flooding) Scenario User Journey Map : Transporting Belongings to Flood Safe Zone
The major threat to security of belongings is theft and flooding. Since the residents live in temporary structures, locks provide no help in securing belongings because these houses can easily be broken into. The ideal way of maintaining security of belongings then, is to ensure that someone is always at home to monitor. However, this threat also persists when there is flooding. Other than water damage, fear of theft continues to threaten the security of belongings. Therefore, during floods, it is a priority for the families to evacuate their all belongings safely and quickly. Leaving belongings behind is not an option.
WHY IS RESETTLEMENT NOT AN OPTION?
There are several factors that make resettlement an unattractive option for the residents. Firstly, if the residents were to resettle somewhere else, the state would be unable to provide them with any help and relief due to legal issues. This makes the prospect of moving and resettling somewhere else very expensive for residents who are mostly agricultural workers and small shopkeepers with large families. Secondly, one of the primary reasons residents choose to live under such difficult circumstances is their livelihood. Majority of the residents are uneducated and unskilled in any work other than agriculture. If their fields are taken away, so will their chances of earning a livelihood. The residents also have the responsibility of maintaining large families with at most three generations residing together. Resettling and taking away their means of earning a livelihood will further push the people of Chilla Khadar to the brim of marginalisation.
The problem at hand requires a two pronged approach for devising an appropriate solution - a short term design solution that is affordable and achievable ; and a long term policy driven solution that is more permanent and sustainable in the long run.
Field Images from Chilla Khadar , Source : Author