Ahmedabad Launches A Major Demolition Drive At Rakhial: 20 Illegally Built Factories And Shops Razed

Ahmedabad: In a major crackdown on unauthorized land use, Ahmedabad authorities launched a massive demolition drive in the Rakhial area today, clearing more than 20 illegally built factories and shops, along with a structure reportedly used for offering namaz. The operation, conducted under tight police security, comes just days after a similar action at Chandola Lake.

The demolition took place on land owned by the Gujarat Housing Board, near Morarji Chowk. The site was originally reserved as a common open plot under a 1960s housing scheme for mill workers. This isn’t the first time encroachments have been cleared from the area, back in 2008, a similar operation was conducted, but over the years, unauthorized structures reappeared.

More than 350 police personnel, including senior officers, were deployed to maintain order during the operation. Residents gathered around the site, watching as bulldozers razed decades of unchecked construction.

What raised eyebrows during the drive was the discovery of active electricity connections to the illegal structures, highlighting possible lapses or complicity within the power distribution system. Similar concerns had emerged during last week’s Chandola demolitions, where encroachments were also found to have formal utility access.

Authorities stated that fencing would be installed around the cleared plots to prevent further encroachments. The reclaimed space is expected to benefit thousands of nearby legal residents, who have faced issues of overcrowding and unauthorized industrial activity for years.

BJP corporator Prakash Gurjar, representing the Bapunagar ward, confirmed that the demolition was part of a three-month coordinated effort between the Municipal Corporation’s North Zone Estate Department and the Housing Board.