A rough estimate puts the number of illegally-constructed shops on both sides of the 750-metre stretch at around 520.
It may shock the citizen but aptly describes the negligence on part of the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) authorities. In an around 750-metre stretch, from Dinesh Chambers to National Highway in North Zone, there are only three buildings constructed with proper sanction of the AMC.
A rough estimate puts the number of illegally-constructed shops on both sides of the 750-metre stretch at around 520.
Of these, 260 shop owners had demolished the structures on the encroached space on their own sometimes back and the rest have been razed to the ground by
the AMC under a massive demolition drive.
But while the number of encroachments may appear shocking and show the AMC functioning in poor light, it is also a fact that the civic body's estate department is grossly understaffed.
Sources said the number of people working with the department - responsible to clear building plan, keep a watch on construction activities and give permission for the use of buildings - is inadequate.
Statistics provided by the estate department say it has 68 officials for the six zones of the city. Ahmedabad has 52 wards (with each ward having 1 lakh population) and it is spread over around 400 square km area. The moot question is whether AMC has adequate personnel to keep a watch on a city which is fast turning into a concrete jungle.
"This is a debatable topic. When the wards were planned, population of each ward was 77,000, but now it has reached one lakh. Number of employees in the estate department has, however, not increased," said UC Padia, deputy municipal commissioner for estate department.
Padia said the AMC demolished around 900 square metre of illegal construction on forth day of the demolition drive across the city.
AMC officials say it has been a tough task to remove illegal constructions from buildings owned by people with 'great connections.
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