At Dwarka Greens, an unfinished fence that divides residents of a society

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Written by: Devansh Mittal6 min readNew DelhiApr 18, 2026 08:42 AM IST The DDA’s Dwarka Greens project, launched in late 2023, offers a spectrum of housing from ₹34 lakh EWS units to premium ₹2 crore MIG flats in one of Delhi's most sought-after residential hubs. (Express) Make us preferred source on Google Whatsapp twitter Facebook Reddit PRINT A set of metal fasteners embedded in the ground — the only visible trace of a dispute that started nearly two years ago and still continues to divide residents of Delhi Development Authority’s (DDA) Dwarka Greens housing society in Sector 14’s Pocket 5. On April 26, 2024, labourers had arrived at the society late at night with DDA officials to install iron fencing that would separate the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) flats from the Lower and Middle Income Group (LIG, MIG). As per submissions made by EWS homeowners before a civil court in Dwarka, when questioned by residents, DDA officials had said they had no written orders and were acting on oral instructions from their seniors. As the EWS homeowners intervened, the installation was stopped. But fasteners for the gate had already been installed on the ground by then. Days later, on May 4, the DDA officials returned — again at night, this time with labourers and 25-30 security guards to complete installation. According to submissions made in the court, a call to the police by the EWS homeowners halted the work again. In the absence of written orders, police asked the DDA to stop work. When The Indian Express visited the society, the fasteners are all that remain to remind one of those days. At the heart of the dispute is not just a fence, but what it represents — a wall separating EWS homes from LIG and MIG flats. Also, different resident welfare associations (RWA) governing the two groups. Dwarka Greens, launched under the DDA’s Diwali Special Housing Scheme in 2023, offered 1,008 EWS flats alongside 316 LIG and MIG units each. While the EWS flats were priced at around Rs 34 lakh, LIG units cost nearly Rs 80 lakh, and MIG flats were sold ranging between Rs 1.3 crore to Rs 2 crore. Based on the original layout of the society, six towers — A to F — housing LIG and MIG residents have come up surrounding the central green area. In between is the community centre or facility block, and then comes the G and H towers, designated for EWS homes. It is this physical arrangement that has now become the focal point of the contest. In the scheme’s brochure, no fencing or gate could be found. Calling the arrangement “discriminatory”, the EWS homeowners, in court, argued that the proposed fencing was never disclosed to them when the scheme was launched and would effectively restrict their access to common facilities like the central park and community centre “situated between LIG and MIG units”. The DDA, meanwhile, submitted that the fencing was approved to provide safe access to different blocks and to segregate the commercial or facility block from the residential block. It also insisted that common facilities would remain accessible to all residents. On May 29, 2025, the civil court dismissed a plea moved by EWS homeowners against the fencing, citing lack of jurisdiction. When the EWS homeowners challenged the decision before a district Judge in the Dwarka court, the judge dismissed the plea on January 28 this year, maintaining that the Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) is empowered to adjudicate such grievances. Soon after, the RERA asked DDA to form a committee to hear both sides and explore an amicable solution. On April 1, meanwhile, the DDA wrote to all residents, requesting them to make their own arrangements for security guards, as its contract with the company that provides personnel to the society would soon lapse. “By now, the RWA should have taken over the maintenance and security of the society. We can’t keep funding their security forever,” a DDA official told The Indian Express. But there is a small problem in forming the RWA. Elections to various RWA posts — about to be held last month — were postponed after the DDA wrote to the society, informing that it won’t be sending its field officials who would help conduct the elections. This, the DDA wrote, was due to the fact that an RWA was formed last year – comprising residents of only LIG and MIG homes – in violation of its rules. According to DDA norms, only one RWA can be registered for one society, and all allottees of each block/tower has to mandatorily become members of it. However, according to the residents, last August, the DDA itself had approved the RWA. In December, the DDA had even given the RWA a registration certificate, they added. “After getting all approvals from DDA, we received multiple reminders from it to form RWA for A to F blocks and take over maintenance and funds… as the project had already been completed by DDA. When we started our election process, and declared the date of election, the DDA issued this notice to us,” said Vishnu Pratap Singh, a media professional who lives in the society. “There are multiple DDA societies in Dwarka which have two approved RWAs,” he added, pointing to Sector 14’s Om and Kautilya apartment, and Golf Link and Samriddhi apartments in Sector 18. For some LIG and MIG residents, the issue is also financial. “A single RWA would mean LIG and MIG homeowners bearing a disproportionate share of maintenance costs. Though we have paid much more for the flats and are paying higher maintenance costs, since there are more EWS flats, we are also paying for the services they enjoy,” said Kaushalendra Kishore, a nominee for the now-cancelled elections. Speaking to The Indian Express, a DDA official maintained that the authority has no plans to install the fencing anymore at the society. “We want everyone to live as one community with a single RWA… without restricting anyone’s right to common facilities. We don’t want any ghettoisation or division on the basis of class and won’t be installing the fencing,” the official said. He added that another nearby society, which has two RWAs, has been informed that they need to have one RWA. Devansh Mittal is a Correspondent at The Indian Express, based in the New Delhi City bureau. He reports on urban policy, civic governance, and infrastructure in the National Capital Region, with a growing focus on housing, land policy, transport, and the disruption economy and its social implications. Professional Background Education: He studied Political Science at Ashoka University. Core Beats: His reporting focuses on policy and governance in the National Capital Region, one of the largest urban agglomerations in the world. He covers housing and land policy, municipal governance, urban transport, and the interface between infrastructure, regulation, and everyday life in the city. Recent Notable Work His recent reporting includes in-depth examinations of urban policy and its on-ground consequences: An investigation into subvention-linked home loans that documented how homebuyers were drawn into under-construction projects through a “builder–bank” nexus, often leaving them financially exposed when delivery stalled. A detailed report on why Delhi’s land-pooling policy has remained stalled since 2007, tracing how fragmented land ownership, policy design flaws, and mistrust among stakeholders have kept one of the capital’s flagship urban reforms in limbo. A reported piece examining the collapse of an electric mobility startup and what it meant for women drivers dependent on the platform for livelihoods. Reporting Approach Devansh’s work combines on-ground reporting with analysis of government data, court records, and academic research. He regularly reports from neighbourhoods, government offices, and courtrooms to explain how decisions on housing, transport, and the disruption economy shape everyday life in the city. Contact X (Twitter): @devanshmittal_ Email: devansh.mittal@expressindia.com ... Read More Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram