Phase 2 of Chandola lake anti-encroachment drive starts on Tuesday
Ahmedabad: City police and civic authorities will launch Phase 2 of the anti-encroachment drive near Chandola lake from Tuesday. After clearing 1.5 lakh sq m in Phase 1, this phase aims to free 2.5 lakh sq m of illegal structures.
"Maintaining law and order during the operation is our top priority," said city police commissioner GS Malik ahead of the second phase of the Chandola lake demolition drive. Following the clearance of 1.5 lakh sq m of encroached land in Phase 1, the authorities will now clear an additional 2.5 lakh sq m in Phase 2, said the commissioner.
To ensure the process remains peaceful, the police have deployed 3,000 personnel and 25 companies of the State Reserve Police (SRP) in two shifts.
The demolition work will start at 7am and may continue for 3 to 4 days.
Loudspeaker announcements have been made in the affected areas over the past two days, instructing residents to vacate their houses before the operation begins. Those residing in the area before 2010 have been informed they may be eligible for EWS housing and can collect forms from the Danilimda ward office.
According to police records, the Chandola area previously had a high presence of Bangladeshi nationals living without legal documents. Thisy year, police detained 250 illegal immigrants from the city, of which 207 were from the Chandola area. Over 200 have since been deported. Police officials earlier claimed that parts of the area were also used for illegal activities.
The police commissioner stated that the force is prepared to handle the operation without any disruption and that patrolling will continue until the drive is complete.
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