Viramgam encroachment drive clears 4,000 sq m for SH-17 widening
Synopsis
Over 550 police personnel and a fleet of heavy machinery descended on Viramgam on 1 June to clear 4,000 square metres of encroachments — including three dargahs — near Gangasar Lake. The operation, months in planning, unlocks a critical bottleneck on State Highway No. 17 for Gujarat's Viramgam-Surendranagar-Wadhwan four-lane corridor.
Key Takeaways
Authorities cleared approximately 4,000 square metres of encroachments along a 400-metre stretch near Gangasar Lake , Viramgam, on 1 June 2025 .
Structures removed included three dargahs , five shops , and around 100 encroachments on cemetery land.
More than 550 police personnel were deployed, along with five JCB machines , two Hitachi excavators , and 15 dumpers .
SDM Virendra Desai confirmed that private landowners received compensation under the formal land acquisition process before the drive.
The operation is part of the Viramgam-Surendranagar-Wadhwan four-lane road project on State Highway No.
A similar encroachment drive was conducted in Dhandhuka in April along the Dhandhuka-Bagodara Highway.
A large-scale encroachment removal and demolition operation was conducted in Viramgam town, Ahmedabad district, Gujarat, on Monday, 1 June, to facilitate the widening of State Highway No. 17 under the Viramgam-Surendranagar-Wadhwan four-lane road project. Authorities cleared approximately 4,000 square metres of encroached land along a 400-metre stretch near Gangasar Lake, removing a long-standing traffic bottleneck at the town's entry point.
What Was Demolished
The operation resulted in the removal of three dargahs, five shops, and around 100 encroachments associated with cemetery land. Officials said the structures had occupied both government and privately owned land, and that the private parcels were acquired under the formal land acquisition process, with compensation paid to landowners prior to the drive.
Sub-Divisional Magistrate Virendra Desai confirmed the legal basis of the action. 'At the entry point of Viramgam city, there was a bottleneck area where three dargahs and several other small encroachments existed. The land involved was privately owned, and it was acquired under the land acquisition process. Compensation was provided to the landowners, and today we carried out the process of taking possession of the land,' he said.
Scale of the Operation
The demolition deployed heavy machinery, including five JCB machines, two Hitachi excavators, and 15 dumpers. Security arrangements were extensive: more than 550 police personnel were stationed at the site, comprising one Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP), 15 Police Inspectors, personnel from multiple police stations, and units from the State Reserve Police (SRP), local Crime Branch, and Special Operations Group.
DySP Tapan Kumar Dodiya said the objective was to eliminate a persistent obstruction to road widening. 'Demolition work has been underway since this morning to widen the stretch of road connecting Viramgam to Viramgam town and improve connectivity,' he said.
Months of Coordination Preceded the Drive
Ahmedabad Rural Superintendent of Police Om Prakash Jat said the operation was part of a major state infrastructure initiative that had been in planning for several months. 'The administration and police had been coordinating for two to three months, holding multiple rounds of meetings with the District Collector, SDM, Dy SP, police officials and community representatives before executing the operation after completing all legal formalities,' he said. Authorities described the entire process as having concluded 'in a very peaceful manner.'
Context and What Comes Next
This comes amid a broader enforcement push across Ahmedabad district. An earlier encroachment removal drive was conducted in April in the Dhandhuka area, where illegal constructions along the Dhandhuka-Bagodara Highway were cleared as part of ongoing action against unauthorised structures. The Viramgam operation is a direct enabler of the four-lane highway project, which aims to improve regional connectivity between Viramgam, Surendranagar, and Wadhwan. Construction activity on the widened corridor is expected to advance now that the key bottleneck stretch has been cleared.
Point of View
Months of inter-agency coordination, and the demolition of religious structures — signals that Gujarat's infrastructure push is moving past the planning stage into contested ground. The inclusion of three dargahs in the cleared structures will draw scrutiny, even though officials maintain compensation was paid and legal procedures followed. What the operation does not answer is whether affected communities had meaningful recourse beyond administrative consultations. As the state accelerates four-laning across its highway network, the tension between infrastructure timelines and community displacement will only sharpen.
NationPress
24 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why was the demolition drive carried out in Viramgam on 1 June?
The drive was conducted to clear encroachments blocking the widening of State Highway No. 17 as part of the Viramgam-Surendranagar-Wadhwan four-lane road project. Approximately 4,000 square metres of land near Gangasar Lake was freed to eliminate a long-standing traffic bottleneck at Viramgam's entry point.
What structures were demolished during the Viramgam encroachment removal?
Three dargahs, five shops, and around 100 encroachments associated with cemetery land were removed. The operation covered both government and privately owned land along a roughly 400-metre stretch.
Were affected landowners compensated before the demolition?
Yes, according to SDM Virendra Desai, private land in the affected stretch was acquired under the formal land acquisition process and compensation was provided to landowners before possession was taken on 1 June.
How large was the security deployment for the Viramgam operation?
More than 550 police personnel were deployed, including one DySP, 15 Police Inspectors, and units from the State Reserve Police, Crime Branch, and Special Operations Group. Authorities said the operation concluded peacefully.
Is this part of a wider encroachment removal drive in Ahmedabad district?
Yes. A similar drive was conducted in April in the Dhandhuka area, where illegal constructions along the Dhandhuka-Bagodara Highway were cleared. Both operations are part of ongoing enforcement linked to state highway widening projects in Ahmedabad district.
