250 illegal slums, shops demolished on railway land in Tikiapara
Times of India | 24 June 2026
Howrah: Railway authorities, with support from the Howrah Municipal Corporation, on Tuesday used payloaders to clear around 250 illegal huts, slums, and shops from railway land near Tikiapara. The structures had been built beside the tracks and over a large drain. Officials said the anti-encroachment drive was necessary to clean the drain and mitigate severe waterlogging across Howrah.
The eviction drive began on Tuesday morning and continued until afternoon, with payloaders clearing a nearly 3-km stretch near the Tikiapara Bypass. According to the police, the families had occupied the land for years despite repeated eviction notices. Ahead of the demolition, authorities used loudspeakers to ask residents to vacate the area and remove their belongings.
However, the drive faced resistance as some residents threw stones from the railway tracks, injuring five police personnel and four civic workers. A large contingent of security forces, including central forces, was deployed to bring the situation under control. Officers had to resort to lathi-charges several times to disperse the protesters.
Police alleged that the settlement had turned into a hub for criminal activities at night, including prostitution, bootlegging, drug peddling, and trading in stolen goods. They added that criminals from Kolkata, Howrah, neighboring districts, and other states had been arrested from the area in the past.
Officials noted that the blocked drain caused severe flooding in Tikiapara, Howrah Maidan, Dumurjala, Dasnagar, north Howrah, and various railway zones during the monsoon, disrupting train services and affecting local residents.