The Rajkot Municipal Corporation (RMC) conducted a demolition drive in the Jangleshwar area, clearing 1,489 illegal encroachments and reclaiming 88,750 square meters of land along a town planning road and the Aji riverbank. The operation, carried out under Town Planning Scheme No. 6, focused on the 15-meter T.P. Road and the Aji riverbed area. Notices were issued under Section 260(1) of the GPMC Act, 1949, to all encroachers before the demolition.
Of the total land cleared, 33,750 square meters were part of the T.P. Road alignment, while 55,000 square meters were along the riverbank. The value of the reclaimed land is estimated to be over Rs 350 crore. Municipal Commissioner Tushar Sumera mentioned that orders were issued to demolish illegal constructions after no action was taken by the occupants despite repeated communication.
The demolition drive involved the removal of 497 encroachments from the T.P. Road and 992 from the riverbank. A total of 1,512 officers and staff from various RMC departments, along with vigilance teams and city police, participated in the operation. To ensure law and order, 261 machines were deployed, accounting for 33,264 human work hours and 5,742 machine hours. Debris removal is currently in progress at the site.
Sumera highlighted that the cleared T.P. Road will now facilitate flood control and improve access for emergency services. In the past, the area had posed challenges during the monsoon due to the convergence of the Aji and Khokhadadi rivers. He also mentioned the relocation efforts, with 36,561 houses already allotted across Rajkot, including 813 to Jangleshwar residents.
