Unpacking the “unauthorized colony”: Policy, planning and everyday lives

Abstract

Unauthorized colonies are one of seven “unplanned” settlement types in Delhi. A significant number of potential voters in these colonies has made their regularization a central election promise. This chapter unpacks the “unauthorized colony”, analyses the legal and policy framework for regularization of these colonies in Delhi and explores narratives about Delhi’s largest cluster of unauthorized colonies in Sangam Vihar, examining how the promise of regularization has impacted the daily lives of its residents.