Kandla: Authorities launched a large-scale demolition drive in the Mitha Port area, removing widespread illegal encroachments considered a threat to coastal and national security. Heavy machinery rolled in at daybreak as teams began clearing nearly 100 acres of unlawfully occupied land around the ports.

According to officials, bulldozers moved in under tight police security to dismantle structures that had come up illegally over the years. The market value of the encroached land is estimated at around ₹250 crore.

Mega demolition drive underway in Kandla to clear illegal encroachmentshttps://t.co/QcCxyAe6Tx pic.twitter.com/JD2YNav8Tb

— DeshGujarat (@DeshGujarat) December 8, 2025

The operation, described as one of the biggest encroachment-removal actions in the region in recent times, involves an extensive deployment of resources, including 20 JCBs, 20 Hitachi machines, 40 loaders, 40 dumpers, and around 100 tractors. Drones and video cameras are also being used to document the drive.

More than 40 officials of the district administration and around 500 police personnel from East Kutch are present at the site in the joint operation led by the Deendayal Port Authority and the East Kutch Police.

Authorities said the encroached Mitha Port area housed a population of around 4,000 to 5,000, with several individuals allegedly involved in prostitution, property offences, bootlegging activities, and violations under the Petroleum Act and laws relating to damage to public property. Officials added that clearing the zone was essential to strengthen maritime and national security around the key port installations.

Last year, authorities had cleared 170 acres of Deendayal Port Authority land in a similar operation. Monday’s demolition continues the government’s crackdown on illegal occupation across strategic coastal zones in Gujarat. DeshGujarat