Rising thefts, few jobs push women in relocated families out of work

Relocated to the city’s fringes with promises of stability, galore rehabilitated families surviving successful the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) flats of the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) successful outer Delhi’s Narela and adjacent villages accidental agelong commutes, deficiency of employment opportunities, and rising thefts are forcing women retired of the workforce.

In 1 specified household successful Pocket 5 of the DDA flats, each 3 adults – the husband, wife, and aged parent – were moving earlier being rehabilitated pursuing an anti-encroachment thrust successful Central Delhi’s Madrasi Camp successful June 2025. S. Lakshman, 31, a cleaner astatine a authorities bureau successful Jangpura, said, “My wife, a home worker, and I permission astatine dawn to drawback the autobus and instrumentality location astatine 11 p.m.”

Initially, Mr. Lakshman’s mother, S. Nalini, 51, travelled with them for work. But wrong 2 weeks, she stopped aft a theft astatine home. “It’s unsafe to adjacent locomotion connected the roadworthy astatine night. My lad was stopped erstwhile and his telephone was snatched. We cannot spend to support losing valuables,” Ms. Nalini said.

For Meena, 52, who lives unsocial successful the aforesaid complex, the risks consciousness adjacent higher. Fearing theft, she spent implicit ₹35,000 installing grilles and fencing astir her flat. “My sons and their families rented houses successful Nizamuddin due to the fact that determination is nary enactment here,” she said.

Delhi Police information amusement that Narela reported 1,970 crimes successful 2025, of which implicit 1,170 progressive burglary, robbery, snatching and different forms of theft. Over a twelve women told The Hindu they had stopped moving aft relocating to Narela, citing unsafe question and the hazard of leaving homes unattended.

Those who stayed back

Rubi Devi, who moved a decennary ago, has been retired of regular enactment since. “The country is little hostile present than before. More flats person been allotted, truthful it’s not bare anymore. But thefts person accrued too...There is nary enactment present different than low-paying mill jobs,” she said.

Preeti, 25, who lives successful Pocket 4, was rehabilitated from Yamuna Pusta, astir 40 km away. Though qualified to enactment arsenic a teacher, she said commuting is particularly hard arsenic a differently-abled idiosyncratic owed to infrequent buses and mediocre connectivity. “I was acceptable to question oregon adjacent rent a country successful the metropolis if I recovered a job. But my household decided idiosyncratic had to enactment backmost if everyone other went to enactment – and that idiosyncratic was me,” she said.

‘Lack of planning’

Residents successful adjacent villages nexus rising thefts to unemployment. From Sonath village, shopkeeper Anuj Vans pointed towards the beige DDA flats. “Incidents accrued erstwhile these flats became populated. A motorcycle was stolen a fewer days ago, and recently, parts were taken from my car,” helium said. Mr. Vans said rehabilitation without employment readying has worsened the situation. “People adjacent debar highways present due to the fact that of snatching,” helium said.