Dahod demolition drive advances for smart city project

A massive demolition campaign, presently underway in the town of Dahod to facilitate the Smart City Project, continued on Monday as authorities demolished structures from Bhagini Samaj Line to Nagina Masjid and the Anjuman Hospital area. One of the structures that was demolished was a section of the Nagina Masjid in Dahod on SV road, while the administration is currently verifying the masjid's records to determine the next steps. Strong emotions surged through Dahod town as the demolition campaign, initiated by the Smart City Project committee on May 11, resumed on the fourth day following a pause on Sunday. The Dahod Prant Officer, responsible for overseeing the implementation of the Smart City project, has so far conducted demolitions on Godhra Road, Godi Road, Palika Road, Station Road, and the Padav area of the town. While an old temple dedicated to Lord Ganesh was demolished earlier last week, a section of the Nagina Masjid was brought down on Monday after locals began dismantling a six-foot portion of the structure upon receiving the notice from the authorities. Most of the areas targeted in the demolition campaign are predominantly inhabited by the majority community, while the areas around Chhab Talav and Nagina Masjid are primarily populated by minorities. A Dawoodi Vohra Musafirkhana situated on Station Road was also demolished in the campaign. The masjid management has been granted time to submit documents proving their ownership of the land, enabling the authorities to determine the subsequent course of action. The demolitions are part of the Smart City project. We have demolished a section of the Masjid that was in the path of the demarcation, and the Masjid administrators willingly had it removed. As for the rest of the structure, which is under scrutiny, we have given them time as the documents are being verified, stated Dahod Collector Harshit Gosavi. The demolitions for road expansion under the Smart City Project, for which a notice was served to property owners on May 7, allowed five days to vacate the premises. On Thursday, as the demolition team, led by the Prant Officer and with substantial police presence, arrived, residents and traders requested additional time. Reena Panchal, the President of Dahod Municipality from the BJP and a committee member, also requested authorities to grant more time to the residents, but the demolitions were carried out as scheduled. A five-day notice was issued to the residents for the first time... There were discussions and talks about the demolition, but we believed it would have been appropriate to give them more time. People are willing to cooperate, but they wanted to remove their belongings from the properties... As a representative of the people, I attempted to convey this to the officer in charge, but the demolition was carried out instantly. Some people may not have had the chance to remove their belongings, Panchal told a news publication. Panchal mentioned that the committee had also decided to engage with the communities managing any religious place of worship affected by the road expansion. Accordingly, we consulted with the locals regarding the Ganesh temple that was demolished on Palika Road, as well as the Masjid for the removal of the encroachment. Currently, the officials are widening 10 major roads in Dahod town, but we are not yet aware of the extent of the demolitions in terms of the actual number of properties razed. Also Read Gujarat CM lauds Smart Cities Mission, renewable energyWhy is the Smart Cities Mission given an additional year?