Ahmedabad: The Amdavad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has launched a demolition drive to clear encroachments from Amba Lake in the Isanpur area as part of its ongoing efforts to revive water bodies and enhance their storage capacity.

The operation began in the morning under heavy police security to remove illegal residential and commercial structures that had been built on the lake land over the years. According to AMC officials, more than 160 encroachments had come up on the lake premises near Moni Hotel in the Isanpur area under the Lambha ward of the South Zone. These included around 147 residential units and 14 commercial establishments.

AMC had earlier issued notices to the occupants asking them to vacate the premises. Following the expiry of the notice period, the civic body initiated the demolition exercise with the assistance of 02 Hitachi machines, 01 JCB machines, 15 breaker machines, 01 gas cutters and 35 private contractor workers.

Cops from Isanpur and Narol police stations has been deployed to maintain law and order during the operation. Fire brigade personnel and medical teams are also stationed at the site as a precautionary measure.

This demolition action has freed 26,305 square metres of lake area and 1,444 square metres of reserve plot land of F.P. No. 60, designated as “Open Space” and acquired by AMC next to the lake, enabling the civic body to deepen and rejuvenate the lake and improve its water-holding capacity in the future.

The AMC said it has also initiated the process of providing alternative accommodation to eligible affected families. Authorities have begun collecting applications from residents who have been living in the area for years and can furnish the required documents for rehabilitation under existing government norms.

For those requiring immediate shelter, arrangements have been made at nearby rain baseras (night shelters), officials said. DeshGujarat