A once‑vibrant quarter anchored by a shrine to the Sufi saint Bari Imam is now the epicentre of a housing crisis, as officials have demolished hundreds of dwellings belonging to the city’s poorest residents over the last twelve months, sparking alarm that the bulldozers may not stop there.
The Sacred Site at the Heart of the Crisis
The Bari Imam shrine, a modest mausoleum perched on a hill overlooking the district, draws devotees from across the capital and beyond. Its annual urs festival attracts thousands, turning the neighbourhood into a bustling hub of commerce and community life. Yet beneath the spiritual draw lies a fragile fabric of low‑income housing that has become the latest target of municipal redevelopment.
Homes Gone: The Scale of Demolition
In the past year, demolition crews have pulled down hundreds of homes, most of them modest, single‑storey structures occupied by daily‑wage earners and their families. The removals have left a patchwork of empty plots and half‑finished high‑rise blocks rising where once stood tight‑knit streets. Officials say the clear‑ances are part of a wider plan to modernise the area, but critics argue the timing coincides with a surge in property values. The swift pace of the work has left little time for affected families to secure alternative housing, heightening the sense of urgency among local activists.
Residents Speak Out
Local families, many of whom have lived in the area for generations, warn that the loss of their homes threatens their stability and the cultural fabric of the neighbourhood. The outcry is growing. Residents fear that the next wave of demolitions will push them into informal settlements on the city’s outskirts.
Why it Matters
The demolition spree not only displaces vulnerable households but also erodes the social cohesion that has long defined the district, threatening the very pilgrimage tradition that sustains the Bari Imam shrine. As the city wrestles with balancing heritage preservation and urban renewal, the fate of this neighbourhood offers a stark reminder that rapid development can come at the expense of the poor, amplifying inequality and fuelling public discontent.