Ahmedabad civic body demolishes 'Hollywood'

The slum-dwellers of Gulbai Tekra woke up to a rude shock on Monday morning, when officials of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) knocked on their doors announcing that their homes were being demolished.

A total of 105 structures were demolished by the estate department of AMC. Of these, 57 were residential and the rest were commercial or extensions for commercial structures. The civic body has provided alternate accommodation for 57 residential units at Shahwadi, Vasna. The civic body has provided these under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM). Twelve trucks were used for shifting, in which people got in with their belongings.

While many of the residents were shattered to leave their abode and watch it crash down in front of their eyes, some of them were happy to get alternate accommodation. Expressing his happiness, one of the slum-dwellers, Kantibhai Thakor said, “Though I will miss my neighbours and friends I am ready to shift as long as we get alternate accommodation.”

However, many women were seen crying while watching the demolition.  

An estate official of new west zone, requesting anonymity said, “The road from passport office to Panchvati will be widened from 60 feet at present to 80 feet to construct a BRTS route. These illegal houses and extensions are creating an obstruction which is why they are being demolished.” He said that the land belonged to AMC and the slum-dwellers had encroached on the land by constructing kaccha houses and shops.  Amid the demolition, the environment became tense when some slum-dwellers created a ruckus leading to a lathi-charge.

Cops present at the spot with estate officials soon controlled the situation and the demolition went on for the whole day. The civic body had requested for a large team of 50 cops for protection as the demolition of Gulbai Tekra is a sensitive matter.

The pulling down of illegal structures which began at 10 am, finally ended at 7 pm.