A drive to demolish illegal encroachments in Dwarka is going on in full swing freeing lakhs of square meters of land. However, after this demolition drive, thousands of fishermen are illegally trespassing into the Mul Dwarka port of the Gir-Somnath district of Gujarat. More than 1,000 people with about 200 boats have illegally entered the coastal villages, after which there is a fear among the locals that the peace of the area can get disturbed.
Lakhs of square meters of land in the Dwarka district have been freed of illegal encroachments by bulldozer action at several places in the last few days. The Gujarat government has demolished buildings built by people who lived in those illegal constructions on the coast of Gujarat, including Dwarka. Some illegal structures were also demolished in the Gir Somnath district. After the demolition, thousands of fishermen entered the Mul Dwarka port of Gir-Somnath illegally.
Around 200 boats and more than 1,000 fishermen from different districts have suddenly arrived at the Mul Dwarka port. This created a fear among the locals that the peace of this area can be disturbed. The panic spread in the area very quickly. Locals in Mul Dwarka are demanding that people coming without any kind of permission should not be allowed to settle there. However, according to villagers, these illegal settlers are so adamant that any confronting interaction with them can lead to a quarrel. There has been a demand from the villagers that the government should move these outsiders from the Mul Dwarka area.
While speaking about this issue, a local leader said, “The administration has demolished the illegal settlements of people who made illegal constructions and lived near ports including Naudra, Miana, Bet Dwarka, and Harshad. Since then, these people have reached the Mul Dwarka port of Kodinar with their boats for the last week and have been illegally settling their households here by truck during the night. Communal disharmony is being spread by these people who are looking just for their own self-interest.”
The possibility of communal riots at the Mul Dwarka port is also being expressed. Locals, including leaders and other residents of the Mul Dwarka port, have also petitioned the administration, including the police. In the petition, the people have specifically mentioned that if no strict legal action is taken against those who have come illegally and spread communal disharmony at the Mul Dwarka port, then the locals will be forced to agitate.
On Saturday, March 11, the Dwarka administration ordered the demolition of structures including Mazars in Harshad village of Kalyanpur Tehsil in Gujarat. This came after the Gujarat government ordered to clear of illegal encroachments posing threat to India’s maritime security. During the demolition drive 7 Mazars, 50 commercial establishments, and around 210 residential buildings were demolished by the local administration amidst heavy police deployment.
Notably, a mega demolition drive was conducted in Bet Dwarka in October last year. Religious and private commercial constructions on government lands were demolished using bulldozers in large numbers. The mega operation was jointly carried out by various departments including revenue, panchayat, maritime, police, and power supply department after receiving inputs that the now-banned Islamist outfit PFI’s connections are active in Bet Dwarka and illegal activities are being carried out by grabbing government lands forcefully under the name of religion.
