Gujarat: Encroachments cleared in Ahmedabad as AMC, police launch joint demolition drive

Ahmedabad, May 15 (IANS) Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) and city police carried out a large-scale demolition operation in Rakhiyal on Thursday, clearing encroachments from a Gujarat Housing Board plot near Morarji Chowk.

The drive removed around 20 illegally constructed business units and a makeshift structure used for offering Namaz. Assistant Commissioner of Police R.D. Oza confirmed that the demolition was initiated at the request of the Housing Board and was carried out with full police support to ensure order throughout the operation.

The plot in question was originally part of a 1960 housing scheme reserved for mill workers. Despite a demolition conducted at the site in 2008, encroachments had gradually returned, prompting renewed action by the authorities.

To ensure a peaceful operation, over 350 police personnel were deployed, including senior officers such as Assistant Commissioners of Police (ACPs) and Police Inspectors. The massive police presence underscored the administration's intention to avoid any disruption during the sensitive drive.

Officials said illegal commercial establishments, including shops and small factories, had mushroomed on the open land over the years. The presence of active electricity connections in many of these units raised concerns over how such services were extended to unauthorised structures.

Similar irregularities were recently flagged during the Chandola Lake clearance operation. Bapunagar Ward Corporator Prakash Gurjar stated that the operation covered three illegally occupied plots spread across 2,680 square meters.

Since the Housing Board lacks a dedicated estate wing, the AMC's North Zone Estate Department stepped in to carry out the clearance. Gurjar also confirmed that the reclaimed area would be fenced off to prevent future encroachments. The cleared land is expected to be restored for community use, potentially benefiting over 5,000 residents in nearby Housing Board residences.

Meanwhile, the Gujarat government initiated a large-scale demolition drive in Ahmedabad's Chandola Lake area in late April 2025. The operation, led by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) with substantial police support, targeted illegal encroachments that had proliferated around the historic water body over the years.

The drive resulted in the demolition of approximately 4,000 unauthorised structures, including both permanent and temporary dwellings, spread across 1.5 lakh square meters of government land.

Authorities reported that many of these settlements were occupied by individuals suspected to be illegal Bangladeshi immigrants. In the days leading up to the demolition, over 6,500 people were detained for verification, with 450 confirmed as illegal residents.

--IANS

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