The Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) conducted a demolition drive in the Kudalwadi and Jadhavwadi areas on Monday and razed four unauthorised religious structures—two mosques and two temples—amid massive police deployment.
The action was conducted between 3 am and 5 am under tight security, after police sealed the roads leading to the locality late on Sunday night to prevent any law-and-order issues.
According to PCMC officials, 4,336.28 sq ft of unauthorised construction was removed during the operation. The demolished structures included illegal tin sheds, brick structures and reinforced cement concrete (RCC) constructions located along the Visava Chowk to police chowky stretch in Kudalwadi, near the Kudalwadi police outpost, on Jadhavwadi Road and on Savata Mali Mandir Road.
Tension prevailed during the demolition as local residents gathered at the spot and protested against the civic action. Two JCB machines deployed for the demolition were allegedly damaged after stone-pelting by angry residents, though police officials did not officially confirm the vandalism.
According to officials, as many as 1,200 police personnel, along with 218 Maharashtra Security Force (MSF) jawans, were deployed for the operation. The civic body also deployed 10 Poclain machines, 10 JCBs, 50 labourers, three fire brigade vehicles and two ambulances. Besides, officials from the electricity distribution department were also present.
{{/usCountry}}According to officials, as many as 1,200 police personnel, along with 218 Maharashtra Security Force (MSF) jawans, were deployed for the operation. The civic body also deployed 10 Poclain machines, 10 JCBs, 50 labourers, three fire brigade vehicles and two ambulances. Besides, officials from the electricity distribution department were also present.
{{/usCountry}}The operation was carried out under the supervision of PCMC commissioner Vijay Suryavanshi and police commissioner Vinoy Kumar Choubey.
Senior officials from the building permission department, including 12 deputy engineers, four junior engineers and 24 civil engineering assistants, were part of the action, along with anti-encroachment teams from all eight ward offices.
The action comes as part of the civic body’s continued crackdown on unauthorised constructions in the twin city, particularly in areas that have witnessed repeated encroachment issues.
Suryavanshi said, “The municipal corporation will continue strict action against illegal structures. Citizens should follow the law and cooperate in the planned development of the city.”
Mahesh Landge, MLA, Bhosari Assembly, said, “It is necessary to take action against illegal places of worship that provide shelter to anti-national tendencies. No compromise will be made from the perspective of national security,” he said.
Last April, the PCMC had issued notices to a total of 31 unauthorised religious structures—18 mosques and 13 temples in Kudalwadi and surrounding areas—for erecting structures without approval from the civic building permission department. They were asked to remove the establishments within two weeks.