The Aryavarth Express
Ahmedabad (Gujarat): The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) on Tuesday carried out a large-scale demolition drive in the Vatva Extension area, removing encroachments around a lake near the Vatva police station.
According to Zone-6 Deputy Commissioner of Police Bhagirath T. Gadhvi, the operation targeted unauthorised residential units and commercial shops constructed around the lake. Nearly 450 illegal structures were identified, and demolition action was undertaken to clear the encroached land.
To ensure the smooth and peaceful conduct of the drive, extensive police arrangements were put in place. The deployment included one Deputy Commissioner of Police, one Assistant Commissioner of Police, 11 Police Inspectors, 21 Police Sub-Inspectors, and over 350 police personnel. Drone surveillance was also used to monitor the area and maintain law and order throughout the operation.
DCP Gadhvi said the demolition was carried out peacefully without any resistance. He added that continuous communication between police officials and affected residents helped prevent any untoward incidents during the exercise.
Meanwhile, the Gujarat government continues to prioritise the use of modern technology and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to develop cities into smart urban centres. Following the establishment of an AI Centre of Excellence in Gandhinagar, the state has been working to enhance citizen service delivery through advanced technological integration.
As part of this initiative, a pilot project has been launched in the expanding Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation area to address issues caused by stray cattle, which often lead to traffic disruptions. Currently, AMC teams manually identify stray cattle using CCTV images, microchips and RFID tags—a process that is time-consuming and labour-intensive.
To streamline the process, the administration has begun introducing AI-based solutions. The AI Centre of Excellence at GIFT City has assigned an agency to develop a deep-learning-based model that will integrate CCTV images to identify stray cattle and trace their owners in real time. The proposed model is expected to be presented to the steering committee soon.
