The annual Rath Yatra festival in Ahmedabad is round the corner and will once again take the traditional route from the Jagannath Temple in the Jamalpur area and back.
To ensure the safety of devotees and spectators, the Amdavad Municipal Corporation’s (AMC) Central zone town planning and estate department has taken proactive measures by surveying dilapidated buildings along the procession route.
The survey identified 261 dangerous constructions, including entire buildings or specific portions located in Shahpur, Khadia, and Dariapur wards. Among these, the Dariapur ward houses the highest number of 150 dangerous buildings, followed by the Khadia ward with 111.
The AMC’s town planning and estate department regularly conducts such surveys ahead of the Rath Yatra to identify and address potential hazards. However, in many cases, the process of removing these dangerous structures is hindered by disputes between property owners and tenants.
In 2023, a gallery of a building along the Rath Yatra route in Dariapur collapsed, highlighting the urgency of addressing these safety concerns. One year after the incident, the department dismantled the dangerous portion of the construction.