Rajkot: In what is being described as the biggest demolition drive in the history of the city, the Rajkot Municipal Corporation (RMC) has started bulldozing illegal encroachments in the Jangleshwar area along the Aji Riverfront and TP Road.

Over 2,500 police and paramilitary personnel are maintaining law and order, while more than 1,130 municipal staffers are engaged in the operation. The entire Jangleshwar locality has been divided into seven zones, each headed by Class-I officers and supported by technical staff, supervisors and field workers.

According to RMC officials, micro-planning for the operation involved the deployment of over 260 machines, including 64 JCBs, 90 tractors, seven Hitachis, 50 breakers, 42 gas cutters and 14 dumpers. So far, 1,026 houses have been vacated voluntarily by residents.

Rajkot Municipal Corporation Deputy Commissioner H.R. Patel said the demolition began around 7:30 am. “As per reports received from various committees, zones and sectors, 455 properties had been demolished by 10 am. The number was expected to cross 500 by 11 am and may exceed 700 by evening,” he said, adding that the drive will continue till sunset and resume at 7:30 am the next day.

A special control room has been set up at the civic body’s headquarters, from where Municipal Commissioner Tushar Sumera is continuously monitoring the operation. Teams were dispatched from Sheth High School at 7 am, and senior IAS and IPS officers are directly overseeing the drive. The chairmanship of seven teams has been assigned to four city engineers, under whose leadership bulldozers are carrying out the demolition.

The civic body estimates that around 87,000 square metres of land, valued at approximately ₹312 crore, will be cleared during the drive. The land is required for the Aji Riverfront development and TP Road projects. Officials said many residents had been living in the area for over five decades, with initial hutments gradually replaced by permanent structures.

The demolition follows action initiated by the municipal administration, while a separate demolition move by the collector’s office had earlier been stayed by the High Court. No stay has been granted against the municipal action so far.

Rajkot City DCP Zone-1 Hetal Patel confirmed that adequate police deployment has been ensured across all seven zones to prevent any law and order issues. “The demolition is progressing in a peaceful atmosphere. Many residents have voluntarily vacated their houses over the past two days,” she said. Social media is also being monitored, and individuals suspected of attempting to disturb the peace were detained on Saturday night, police added.

The large-scale operation remains under close surveillance through 25 drone cameras and 30 walkie-talkie sets as authorities aim to complete the exercise at the earliest. DeshGujarat