Basement shops in 52 CG Road bldgs to be razed

AHMEDABAD: Shops in the basements of many commercial buildings on the CG Road face demolition, and are to be razed in just a couple of days. The drive is aimed at clearing basement parking spaces in 52 buildings on the city's only boulevard.

After sending a number of warnings and notices, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has finally decided to act against irregular constructions on the CG Road.

The west zone office of the AMC has drawn a 'hit list' of 52 buildings on the CG road. In most of these buildings, the parking lots have been crammed with a variety of shops. "We will now target the CG Road where we have noticed irregularities, like building shops in the parking space of commercial complexes," said a senior AMC official. "To set the record straight, we are armed with a High Court order, which directs that all parking space be freed of encroachments and defaulters fined. We expect the members of the commercial complexes' association to co-operate with us."

A residential and commercial building in Memnagar also faces a similar fate. In fact, every zonal office of the AMC has been given a copy of the demolition order to target buildings which have illegal extensions and even encroachment in the basement parking space. "Our priority has been to target buildings that have not kept their promise of providing adequate parking space," the AMC official said.