Ahmedabad, April 29 – Authorities in Ahmedabad launched a large-scale demolition operation near Chandola Lake on Tuesday, targeting illegal settlements that were allegedly home to Bangladeshi immigrants. The drive, carried out jointly by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) and the city police, follows the recent detention of undocumented migrants from slum clusters surrounding the lake.
Police Commissioner G S Malik stated that the AMC initiated the demolition with the support of nearly 2,000 police personnel to maintain law and order. The police presence, led by Joint Commissioner (Crime) Sharad Singhal, included officers from all city police stations, which were placed on high alert due to the sensitive nature of the area, known for its large Muslim population.
As per agency report, the operation began early in the morning with 50 AMC teams, each equipped with a bulldozer. This marks the first demolition activity at Chandola Lake since 2009. A recent AMC survey revealed widespread encroachment on government land around the lake, where hundreds of huts had been erected in areas like Siyasatnagar and Bengali Vas, reportedly housing illegal Bangladeshi migrants.
Commissioner Malik said a criminal case is being filed against Mehmood Pathan, also known as Lallu Bihari, who is believed to be the mastermind behind the encroachments. He is accused of facilitating rental housing and helping migrants obtain forged identity documents such as Aadhaar cards.
In addition to deploying 20 companies from the State Reserve Police Force (SRPF), authorities demolished Pathan's illegally constructed farmhouse on the lakefront. Malik emphasized that while the area has a sizable minority population, many local residents have expressed support for the removal of illegal occupants.
Deputy Municipal Commissioner D C Parmar confirmed that approximately 2,000 unauthorized structures were marked for demolition, and by mid-afternoon, about 50 percent of the operation had been completed. He reiterated that no construction is legally permitted near Chandola Lake.
The demolition comes just a day after Gujarat Director General of Police Vikas Sahay disclosed that nearly 450 Bangladeshi nationals living illegally in the state were apprehended in a recent crackdown. The authorities have warned that any attempts to disrupt law and order will be dealt with firmly.
