Rajkot , More than 1,400 houses were pulled down during the two-day mega demolition drive in Rajkot city and land valued at more than ₹350 crore was freed up, an official said on Wednesday.
There were more than 200 bungalow-like houses among the demolished structures, said municipal commissioner Tushar Sumera.
“The drive started at 7.30 am on Monday and ended on Tuesday evening. A total of 1489 houses in Jangleshwar area were removed,” Sumera said.
On the TP Road, 497 illegal structures were removed, freeing up 33,750 sq mt of land, while 992 illegal structures were demolished along the banks of Aji river, freeing up 55,000 sq mt of land.
The operation involved 1,512 municipal employees and 261 vehicles including earth excavators and tractors, the official said.
The settlement along the river was prone to floods during monsoon rains, leading to rescue operations, and on some occasions even rescuers themselves had to be rescued due to dangerous conditions, Sumera said, adding that 1,378 people were relocated to safe locations in 2024.
“It’s a matter of relief that after this demolition, there will be no loss of lives due to floods and the area will get better roads which
will facilitate easy access for ambulances and fire, police vehicles in the area,” said Sumera.
Of the demolished houses, only 500 pucca houses lacked a concrete slab. More than 250 houses were identical in size with their doors lined up in rows of 30 to 50, he said.
More than 200 houses were “palatial bungalows” with air conditioners, standing on 50 to 100 sqmt plots of land, the official added.
Over 750 houses were valued at more than ₹5 lakh each, and some 250 houses were bungalows worth over ₹15-20 lakh each.
The demolitions were not limited to shanties but other, bigger structures were also removed, the commissioner said.
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