Mega bulldozer action on 'Mini Bangladesh' in Chandola, 8000 houses, 3000 policemen present

Ahmedabad

Around 50 bulldozers thundered together on the banks of Chandola pond in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, stoned about 8500 houses/structures in a single day. Now only some religious structures are left. Police say they will be removed with respect. The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation has removed the illegal encroachment and vacated 2.5 lakh square meters of land.

Joint Commissioner (Crime Branch, Sector 2) of Ahmedabad, Jaipal Singh Rathore said that the second phase of removing illegal encroachments on the banks of Chandola pond yesterday started. Out of the encroachment that was to be removed, 99.9 percent of the demolition has been completed. 2.25 lakh square meters of land has been evacuated. Now only some religious structures are left which will be removed with respect. Our appeal is not to pay attention to rumors. According to the policy of the municipal corporation, forms of those who have to get houses have been taken.

Construction on government land
According to Ahmedabad Police Commissioner GS Malik, the Municipal Corporation has decided to remove illegal constructions from an area of ​​2.5 lakh square meters around Chandola lake. Last month, the encroachment, including the houses of illegal Bangladeshi migrants, was removed from an area of ​​1.25 lakh square meters. Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Sharad Singhal said that in the second and final phase, AMC will free the remaining land from illegal encroachment. He said that about 3,000 policemen and state Reserve Police (SRP) personnel have been deployed to maintain law and order. Singhal said that our main goal in the first phase was anti -social elements and illegal Bangladeshi residents, who are living here. We detained 202 Bangladeshi citizens who were illegally living here before the first phase of the anti -encroachment campaign. In the second phase, we will remove the remaining illegal encroachments. The anti -encroachment campaign will continue until all illegal structures are removed.

Survey of illegal construction from drone
The Joint Commissioner of Police said that before starting this campaign, the AMC conducted a survey and found that the area around the lake is still illegal possession. He said that the drone survey has confirmed that about 8,000 houses have been illegally built on this huge land. Singhal said that the AMC had already announced that people living here since 2010 or earlier will be eligible for alternative housing and many people have already taken their household items there. He said that at least 50 parties of AMC have started their work in the morning and 30 percent of the area has been cleaned by noon. We have deployed 50 drones to keep a strict monitoring in the area.

A large number of Bangladeshi intruders were caught here in Ahmedabad after the Pahalgam attack. On April 29 and 30, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation demolished a large number of structures in the first phase bulldozer action. In the second phase starting from May 20, 50 municipal teams were divided into seven zones and engaged in work. The work of Dhiviyakaran started at 7 am with 350 staff members, which continued till late evening. More than 50 bulldozers/illegal structures were merged into the soil. 3000 policemen were deployed on the spot to maintain law and order.
There was a very dense settlement along the pond.

Joint Police Commissioner Sharad Singhal told PTI on Tuesday that our main goal in the first phase was anti -social elements and illegal Bangladeshi residents who are living here. We detained 202 Bangladeshi citizens who were illegally living here before the first phase of the anti -encroachment campaign. In the second phase, we will remove the remaining illegal encroachments. The anti -encroachment campaign will continue until all illegal structures are removed.

Who will get home
The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation had already announced that people living here since 2010 or earlier would be eligible for alternative housing and many people had already taken their household items there.