Akbarnagar demolition drive ends, 1,800 structures razed
Govt ready with plan to convert region into eco-tourism hub
3 min read
At the Akbar Nagar locality in Lucknow, Wednesday. ExpressAS THE last building in the Akbarnagar locality was razed to the ground on Wednesday morning, a 24.5 acre plot housing 1,800 structures, including 1,169 houses and 101 commercial establishments, was vacated completely as a demolition drive that began in December last year wrapped up. The BJP government has planned to develop this region as Kukrail riverfront, converting it into an eco-tourism hub.
The government has prepared a comprehensive roadmap for enhancing the area also by introducing the country’s first night safari.
The area, according to the Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) records, was developed by encroaching the Kukrail River. The government faced litigations as a form of resistance by the residents in the Allahabad High Court as well as the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court, however, gave a go-ahead to the Yogi government to clear the region.
According to a government spokesperson, “The area was encroached covering the river with has rid the river with illegal constructions by land mafias as well as Rohingya and Bangladeshi infiltrators.”
All “illegal” houses and large commercial establishments built on the encroached land have been demolished, official sources said. Majority of the commercial activities included furniture showrooms and workshops.
The Lucknow Development Authority completed its action by demolishing the last four-storeyed building early Wednesday morning.
Sections of local residents initially had on multiple occasions with the LDA team and the police, protesting against the demolition drive. On one such instance, some persons pelted stones at the officials following a rumour that a few persons were trapped under wreckage of a demolished structure. An LDA official later registered an FIR against over 100 unidentified persons who were booked on various serious charges.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had ordered a survey of the region which reportedly had found “illegal, extensive construction” on the river land. The CM ordered a demolition campaign. This campaign, which began in December 2023 before the Lok Sabha elections, continued after the elections.
To revive the Kukrail River, the government pursued legal cases challenging the demolition drive from the High Court to the Supreme Court, which upheld the government’s actions.
Following the clearance of the Kukrail River area, plans are now in place to develop a riverfront. The development will begin from Dashauli village near Bakshi Ka Talab which is considered the river’s origin. It will also include beautifying the area by interlinking all the ponds.
Additionally, various projects under the Department of Urban Development will also be developed here.
You May Like
