A Muslim tailor died by suicide in Lucknow after his house was razed and his sewing machine taken away by the Lucknow Developmental Authority (LDA) officials.
The deceased, Aziz, a resident of Akbar Nagar of Lucknow, is survived by his wife and six-month-old daughter.
The demolition of Akbarnagar has been going on since December last year. Several houses dubbed as ‘illegal encroachment’ were demolished leaving nearly 15,000 residents in a state of despair.
On October 13, the LDA under Section 27(1) of the Uttar Pradesh Urban Planning and Development Act, 1973, ordered the demolition of houses of Akbarnagar I & II areas where most of the families are financially backward.
Azis’s house was one of the razed structures. After the demolition, he and his family started living in the tent.
To make ends meet, Aziz began tailoring. However, on July 20, authorities took away his sewing machine. He got the machine back only after allegedly paying a bribe of Rs 800.
Unable to make ends meet, Aziz took his own life leaving a bereaved family
Riverfront beautification
The order complied with the Gomti Riverfront Project sanctioned by the Yogi government in 2016 which aims to beautify the riverbed across the state capital.
According to the National Green Tribunal norms, no construction can be carried out in a riverbed, even if one owns the property. Construction in such areas leads to rivers carrying less rainwater, thus, leading to a flood-like situation.
