The Surat Municipal Corporation demolished illegal structures under the Varachha flyover and evicted over 250 people following a viral video of a minor selling ganja and a complaint from a local BJP MLA. The action addressed concerns over drug activities and unhygienic conditions in the area. Officials coordinated with police to ensure the site remains clear of encroachments.
On Friday, the Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) launched an anti-encroachment drive targeting illegal structures beneath the 7-kilometer-long Varachha flyover, which stretches from the Suryapur railway culvert to the Sarthana check post. The operation resulted in the demolition of unauthorized settlements, including tents, and the removal of parked vehicles such as JCB machines, trucks, and tempos. Over 250 individuals residing in these tents were evicted, with debris loaded onto 10 trucks for disposal.
The drive was prompted by a letter from BJP MLA Kishor Kanani, representing the Varachha Road constituency, addressed to SMC Commissioner Shalini Agrawal and Police Commissioner Anupam Singh Gahlaut. In his open letter, shared on social media, Kanani highlighted ongoing illegal drug sales and consumption under the flyover. "Illegal encroachments were done by people in the area below the flyover... People are selling and consuming ganja and other drugs in places where such illegal encroachments are done," he wrote, noting that local residents and social organizations had repeatedly raised the issue without action.
Kanani urged the authorities to coordinate for a permanent solution and provide a written timeline for response. The catalyst was a video posted two days earlier by AAP leader and NGO member Vishal Vasoya, showing a minor boy selling ganja in small plastic pouches while lying on a bed under the flyover. The clip, which went viral, depicted several people purchasing the substance and youths smoking in the vicinity, sparking public outrage over the open drug market and unhygienic conditions.
SMC officials from the Varachha zone, supported by police, also cleared encroachments along the road divider at Vallabhacharya Road. An SMC official stated, "We have received a complaint and acted on it. We will ensure that the area is free from encroachment in future." This urban cleanup aims to restore order in the densely populated area of Surat, a major commercial hub in Gujarat.