Rohingya families have started dismantling their makeshift homes and shops in the Karyani Talab area of Narwal, Jammu, after authorities served vacation notices to owners of plots rented out to them.
Residents were seen removing huts, shops and belongings on Wednesday. The eviction drive began on Tuesday.
Rashid Din, a Rohingya resident, said the families had been given three days to leave.
“We are poor labourers and earn our livelihood through daily work. We do not know where we will go now,” Din said.
Over 500 Families Asked to Leave
Residents said around 30 to 40 shops were initially removed, after which notices were issued for the vacation of the residential settlements.
Sarwar Rohingya claimed that more than 500 families living in around 80 to 90 makeshift huts had been asked to vacate the plots.
He said some families had been living in the area for 15 to 16 years.
Residents also claimed that access to basic facilities such as water and electricity had been limited.
“Water is not available regularly and electricity supply is also erratic. We somehow manage with whatever is available,” Din said.
Another resident, who said his family had lived in the settlement for around a year, said he did not know where they would go after the eviction.
Residents Say They Have UN Refugee Cards
Some residents claimed they possess United Nations refugee cards and said their families came to India after conditions deteriorated in Myanmar.
“At that time, the situation was very bad. People left to save their lives and went wherever they found a route. We are now working as labourers and earning to feed our families,” Din said.
The residents said they depend mainly on daily wage work to support their families.
Plot Owners Served Notices
Authorities recently served notices to owners of plots being used by Rohingya families for residential and commercial structures.
The notices reportedly questioned the landowners over how foreigners were allowed to settle on their plots and directed them to remove the slums and shops from the properties.
The latest action comes nearly a month after a high level committee constituted by the Centre visited Jammu from August 10 to 12 to gather information on demographic changes and alleged illegal immigration.
The committee also visited the Rohingya settlement in Karyani Talab.
Committee Examining Demographic Changes
The committee was constituted on May 26, 2026, under the chairmanship of retired Justice Prakash Prabhakar Navalkar.
It has been tasked with examining demographic changes and suggesting administrative and legal measures in response to them.
Government data presented to the committee in August showed that 7,656 Rohingyas had been identified across Jammu and Kashmir.
Of these, 6,737 were identified across the 10 districts of the Jammu region, while 919 were identified across the 10 districts of the Kashmir Valley.
