Ahmedabad: The second phase of the Chandola Lake demolition drive began early Tuesday, with bulldozers deployed to remove illegal encroachments. On the second day of the drive, a total of nine religious structures were razed under tight police security. Alongside the demolition, the civic body has also started clearing debris from the site.

On Tuesday, the civic body demolished around 8,500 illegal structures in the Chandola Lake area in a single day, freeing approximately 2.5 lakh square metres of land that had been unlawfully occupied for decades.

This follows the first phase of the drive, carried out between April 29 and May 1, during which 1.5 lakh square metres of land were cleared of encroachments.

According to officials, 50 teams from all seven civic zones began demolition work at 7 a.m. on Tuesday. The operation involved 50 bulldozers and was secured by over 3,000 police personnel.

Simultaneously, work will begin on deepening the lake bed and constructing a boundary wall to prevent future encroachments. The lake will eventually be refilled with water as part of the restoration plan.

The AMC plans to redevelop Chandola Lake into a modern urban public space at a cost of ₹27.53 crore. The development will include amenities such as a drainage line, upper and lower promenades, an amphitheatre, jungle gym, a party plot with wedding and groom rooms, event sheds, and a SUJ pumping station. A boundary wall will also be constructed to protect the area from further encroachments.

The goal is to transform Chandola Lake into a popular public attraction for leisure and recreation, while generating revenue through planned infrastructure development. DeshGujarat