Ahmedabad: The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) commenced the second phase of clearing encroachments at Chandola Lake in Danilimda on Tuesday, amid tight security. During this demolition operation, they cleared 8,500 unauthorised structures and freed 2.50 lakh sq m of area in the lake.The operation involved 50 teams of the AMC from across seven zones, comprising 350 staff members who began work at 7 am on Tuesday. The lake area was divided into seven blocks, with 35 bulldozers and 15 earthmover machines deployed for demolishing the illegal structures. The civic body's future plans include debris removal, lake deepening, construction of a boundary wall, and developing the lakeside area.Chandola Lake, situated in Danilimda, falls under the state irrigation department's authority.

Despite discussions over the past few years regarding its transfer to the AMC, the civic body declined to take possession due to existing encroachments. The lake remains under govt control. Following the clearance operation, development plans will move ahead, building upon a tender approved by the corporation about a year ago.During the second phase, the AMC will clear the land remaining after illegal encroachments were removed with the help of police during phase 1.

A senior police official said that more than 3,000 policemen and State Reserve Police (SRP) personnel were deployed to maintain the law and order situation during the demolition drive.According to police, in the first phase, the targets were anti-social elements and illegal Bangladeshis who had settled there. Ahead of phase 1 of demolition, the police detained 202 Bangladeshis living in Chandola Lake illegally.

During the second phase, the civic body aims to clear the remaining illegal encroachments, the police said.A drone survey earlier confirmed that nearly 8,000 houses were illegally built on the vast stretch of land. After phase 1 of demolition, the AMC announced that those living in the area since 2010 or before would be eligible for alternate accommodations.A three-day operation was conducted from April 29 to May 1 by the municipal corporation and city police to remove illegal structures at Chandola Lake in the first phase of demolition.

The first day saw the clearance of 1 lakh sq m area, including farmhouses, warehouses, and temporary dwellings.The second day resulted in the clearing of unlawful structures on a 50,000 sq m area. The final day focused on commercial establishments, including 25 shops near Ghodasar and a large warehouse occupying 1,000 sq m, alongside various embankments within the lake.