Gujarat: Administration demolishes 3 dargahs, shops and nearly 100 encroachments in Ahmedabad for highway widening project

Gujarat carries out large-scale demolition near Gangasar Lake in Viramgam to remove bottleneck for four-lane highway project
Massive anti-encroachment drive in Gujarat’s Viramgam (Image via ANI)

On Monday morning, 1st June, a demolition and anti-encroachment drive was carried out in Viramgam town of Gujarat’s Ahmedabad district as part of the Viramgam-Surendranagar-Wadhwan four-lane highway project. The operation was conducted to widen a stretch of State Highway No 17, where officials said long-standing encroachments had created serious traffic congestion near the entry point of Viramgam town.

Demolition drive carried out near Gangasar Lake

The operation took place along a nearly 400-metre stretch near Gangasar Lake. According to officials, around 4,000 square metres of government and private land were cleared during the drive.

Authorities said the area had become a major bottleneck for traffic over the years, affecting smooth connectivity in and around Viramgam. The clearance work included the demolition of three dargahs, five shops and nearly 100 encroachments linked to nearby cemetery land.

Heavy machinery was brought in for the operation, including five JCB machines, two Hitachi excavators and around 15 dumpers. Sub-Divisional Magistrate Virendra Desai said the action was taken only after completing all legal procedures and land acquisition formalities. “At the entry point of Viramgam city, there was a bottleneck area where three dargahs and several other small encroachments existed.

The land involved was privately owned, and it was acquired under the land acquisition process,” he said. He further added, “Compensation was provided to the landowners, and today we carried out the process of taking possession of the land.”

Heavy police deployment during the operation

To avoid any law and order issues during the demolition drive, authorities deployed a large police force at the site. More than 550 police personnel were present during the operation. The security arrangement included one Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP), 15 Police Inspectors, teams from different police stations, along with personnel from the State Reserve Police (SRP), Crime Branch and Special Operations Group.

DySP Tapan Kumar Dodiya said the road widening project was necessary to improve traffic movement in the area. “Demolition work has been underway since this morning to widen the stretch of road connecting Viramgam to Viramgam town and improve connectivity,” he said.

Ahmedabad Rural Superintendent of Police Om Prakash Jat said the administration had been planning the operation for the past several months. “The administration and police had been coordinating for two to three months, holding multiple rounds of meetings with the District Collector, SDM, DySP, police officials and community representatives before executing the operation after completing all legal formalities,” he told IANS.

He also said local stakeholders were consulted before the demolition was carried out. “Based on this planning, a mega demolition operation was launched this morning. The entire demolition process was completed in a very peaceful manner,” he added. Officials said the road widening project is aimed at improving regional connectivity and removing one of the oldest traffic bottlenecks at the entrance of Viramgam town.

The latest drive comes just weeks after another anti-encroachment operation was conducted in Ahmedabad district’s Dhandhuka area in April, where illegal structures along the Dhandhuka-Bagodara Highway were removed as part of similar infrastructure and road expansion efforts.

Written by OpIndia Staff
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