Mansarovar Park

The Mansarovar Park area comprises several communities located near and under the metro flyover, and near the railway tracks - the Gadia Lohar community, and the community living behind them in Lal Bagh basti.

The Gadia Lohar community live under the metro flyover – they are an informal settlement consisting of approximately 62 families. They live in makeshift housing and are iron smiths and make and repair iron utensils and implements. The community has been living in Mansarovar since 1974, before the metro flyover was constructed. They have experienced a history of dispossession and lived through several forced evictions, most recently in 2013 and August 2017.

The community living in Lal Bagh Basti, behind the Gadhi Lohar community, near the railway tracks also witnessed an eviction in 2014. This community consists of over 200 households – many women here work as waste pickers collectors, and many men play the dhol at functions, and sell nimboo-mirch on Saturdays. There are a range of other occupations, too. Children both go to school, tuition and help to support families, sometimes by helping with paid work and more visibly with domestic and care work.