Archive · 3 Aug 2026
Surat Slum Demolition Sparks Court‑Ordered Rehabilitation
In Surat, a city in India, a group of people lived in small houses called shanties in a slum called Nasirnagar.
On May 30, 2024, the city’s workers tore down about 150 of these houses without telling the families first.
The families were left without homes.
The city’s top official, M Nagarajan, said he had no order to do this, but he later sent messages that seemed to tell workers to finish the job.
A court said the city must help the families find new homes and has suspended some city workers.
The court is also looking into whether the city’s chief should stay in his job while the investigation happens.
The families want money and a promise that they will be taken care of.
On May 30, 2024, the Surat Municipal Corporation demolished about 150 shanties in Nasirnagar slum, leaving roughly 100 families homeless.
The demolition was allegedly carried out at the behest of Municipal Commissioner M Nagarajan, who later claimed no official order existed.
The Gujarat High Court has ordered the SMC to prepare a rehabilitation plan and has suspended several municipal officers involved.
A high‑level inquiry has been set up, but the court questioned why Commissioner Nagarajan remained in office during the investigation.
Residents have filed petitions seeking compensation and accountability, while the court continues to probe the legality of the demolition.
- Who
- Municipal Commissioner M Nagarajan, Surat Municipal Corporation, residents, Gujarat High Court
- What
- Demolition of shanties in Nasirnagar slum
- When
- May 30, 2024 (demolition); July 30, 2024 (court hearing)
- Where
- Nasirnagar slum, Surat, Gujarat
- Why
- Alleged need to clear land for a public road, but no official order
- Demolition Date
- May 30, 2024
- Location
- Nasirnagar slum, Surat, Gujarat
- Homes Demolished
- 150
- Families Affected
- 100
- Municipal Commissioner
- M Nagarajan
- Court Order
- Rehabilitation plan required
- Suspended Officers
- 5
- High Court Bench
- Justice Nikhil Kariel