RAJKOT: The Rajkot civic body on Monday launched a mega drive to demolish more than 1,400 illegal settlements over a 2.5-km area in the city under tight security, officials said.
More than 65 earth-excavating machines, along with tractors, dumpers and other heavy machinery, were deployed in the Jangleshwar area along the Aji riverbed, officials added.
The Rajkot Municipal Corporation (RMC) launched the demolition drive in the Jangleshwar area following the orders of Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi.
Since the illegal properties are spread across a 2.5-km stretch, the demolition is expected to continue for three days, Rajkot Zone-1 Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Hetal Patel said.
Authorities had been assisting residents who voluntarily vacated their properties over the past two days.
Notices had been issued to ensure residents were prepared, and water and electricity connections were disconnected before the demolition began, she said.
"Over 2,500 police personnel, including local police, surveillance teams, drone surveillance units, Special Operations Group personnel, Quick Response Teams (QRT) and State Reserve Police Force, have been deployed and will jointly operate at the site during the demolition process," Patel said.
The demolition is being supervised by more than 1,000 municipal corporation staff at the site.
The move, however, has sparked anguish among residents, who lived in the locality for decades.
Some of them claimed they were informed only three days back about the demolition drive and were worried about where to go, adding that they might have to live on the streets.