Ahmedabad: A massive demolition drive is currently underway at Chandola Lake in Ahmedabad, targeting illegal settlements built by Bangladeshi nationals. Early this morning, Gujarat Police, in coordination with AMC officials, launched the operation, mobilizing over 2,000 local police personnel along with teams from the Crime Branch, SOG, Cybercrime units, and the State Reserve Police (SRP).
The action is part of an ongoing city-wide crackdown to identify and deport illegal Bangladeshi immigrants. So far, police have detained 890 suspicious individuals, of whom 143 have been confirmed as Bangladeshi nationals. Preparations for the demolition began late last night, with bulldozers and dump trucks stationed near Chandola Lake from midnight. Between 1:30 AM and 2:30 AM, police teams were instructed to reach the location. The demolition officially began around 5:30 AM amid heavy security deployment.
More than 80 JCB machines and 60 dumpers have been pressed into service for clearing the illegal structures. Chandola Lake, located off Danilimda Road, has over the years come to be known as “Mini Bangladesh” due to the large number of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants living there. The settlements had spread, with many makeshift and semi-permanent constructions built over the past 15 years.
Initially, around 100 illegal houses are being targeted for demolition. Officers from all seven zones of the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, including those from the Estate Department, Solid Waste Management, and Engineering divisions, are involved in the operation. Senior officers such as DCPs and ACPs from SOG, EOW, Women’s Crime Branch, and Cybercrime units, as well as several PIs and PSIs, are supervising the drive.
The planning for this major operation was finalized on the night of April 28 by AMC officials and the city police. The operation also comes in the backdrop of the recent Pahalgam terror attack, after which police forces nationwide were directed to urgently locate and detain illegal immigrants.
Gujarat’s Minister of State for Home, Harsh Sanghavi, is closely monitoring the developments and is in constant touch with officials on the ground. As of now, demolition activities at Chandola Lake are ongoing under a massive police presence, with authorities determined to completely clear the illegal settlements.