The Gujarat High Court has disposed of a petition against unauthorized constructions along river Kalva/Vokla in Junagadh by directing the Junagadh Municipal Corporation to remove existing unauthorized constructions and submit a report.
The decision of the Division Bench of Chief Justice Sunita Agarwal and Justice Pranav Trivedi was based on an affidavit submitted by the Junagadh Municipal Corporation, detailing the steps taken to remove unauthorized construction in the area.
According to the affidavit, 197 notices were issued to encroachers in October 2023, and a public notice was published in local newspapers in December 2023.
The Corporation also conducted a demolition drive, removing 87 encroachments in January and March 2024.
However, 28 constructions could not be removed due to the rainy season, and 29 constructions were found to be authorized under the sanctioned TP Scheme No 1 of Junagadh in 1995.
The court observed that the major part of the grievances raised by the petitioner had been met by the Corporation.
However, the bench allowed the petitioner to raise concerns about any blockages caused by unauthorized constructions near the river or its tributaries before the Municipal Commissioner.
The court directed the Corporation to remove the 28 constructions that could not be removed earlier.