Ahmedabad Demolishes Illegal Nine Storey Building After Six Year Delay

The city’s municipal corporation has initiated demolition of a controversial nine-storey structure in the Purbiya Wadi locality, near Astodia Darwaja. The building, known as Sana 7, was built illegally in 2019 and had remained untouched despite repeated notices, legal hurdles, and mounting civic pressure. The demolition, launched under police protection, is viewed as a long-overdue move toward restoring planning discipline in one of the city’s most congested zones.

On Monday, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) began razing the top three floors of the structure—seventh to ninth—marking the start of a process that is expected to take several days. Prior to demolition, essential services such as electricity, water, and sewage connections were severed. The structure includes two penthouses and nearly 87 flats spread over nine levels, ten flats per floor. Constructed without requisite permissions, the building was sealed multiple times by authorities over the years, only for the seals to be broken and construction to resume. Residents had even occupied the premises despite the legal breaches. AMC officials had invoked provisions of the Gujarat Provincial Municipal Corporations (GPMC) Act to halt construction, issuing several demolition and stop-work notices since 2019. Despite this, execution remained stalled for years.

The municipal body had sought police assistance on at least eleven occasions—six in 2020 and five in 2025—underscoring the administrative challenges faced in enforcing planning laws amid resistance on ground. Observers have criticised the delay, pointing to bureaucratic inertia and weak enforcement mechanisms. A proposal raised in a recent Legal Committee meeting urged action against officials responsible for not implementing the demolition despite no stay order being granted by the courts. However, five months after this recommendation, no show-cause notices have been issued to any department personnel, nor has any formal inquiry commenced. Urban planning experts argue that illegal constructions like Sana 7 not only compromise city aesthetics and safety standards but also set damaging precedents, encouraging more unlawful development in an already strained urban fabric. Such structures often lack fire safety measures, structural audits, and adherence to zoning laws, placing residents and emergency services at risk.

The current demolition marks a pivotal shift in AMC’s enforcement approach, but critics contend it may be too little, too late. “Swift and accountable governance is critical to maintaining urban liveability,” said a senior town planning expert. “Repeated inaction weakens institutional credibility and emboldens rule-breakers.” As the demolition progresses, civic activists are demanding a transparent post-demolition audit and stronger preventive frameworks to deter future violations. The case of Sana 7, they argue, is a stark reminder of the urgent need for synchronised action between planning authorities, law enforcement, and the judiciary to ensure cities grow lawfully and sustainably.

Ahmedabad Demolishes Illegal Nine Storey Building After Six Year Delay