3 min readSuratJun 28, 2026 05:46 AM IST
NEARLY A month after over 100 families of Nasirnagar in Ved Darwaja area of Surat were rendered homeless after a controversial demolition on “private land” they had allegedly encroached for nearly four decades, the Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) on Saturday shifted around 150 persons to a community hall nearby.
Earlier, 26 of the residents moved the Gujarat High Court (HC) seeking justice and rehabilitation, claiming that they were not issued any notices before the demolitions. The HC heard the matter on Thursday and sought an explanation from the municipal and police authorities while also directing representatives of Torrent Power Ltd to remain present in the court on Monday, when the matter will be heard next.
The demolitions were carried out on May 30, 31 and June 1, clearing 106 structures.
Municipal Commissioner M Nagarajan told The Indian Express on June 8 that his officers had gone there only to demarcate a road. “The land is owned by a private party who has contributed a portion under the town planning scheme for a road. Our team went to the spot for land marking (demarcation) the road area. As per the rules, a notice is to be issued to the inhabitants of slums and the slums are later demolished after hearing from them.”
The residents, however, have claimed they were not issued any notice. On June 11, Additional City Engineer and Central Zone deputy commissioner Ashish Naik claimed in a video that his team had carried out the demolitions, “to clear a road”. Around June 20, he changed his stance and said the demolition was done by municipal officials.
Nagarajan declined to comment further on the matter, saying it was before the HC.
“We set up a probe team headed by a Deputy Commissioner rank official of the SMC. They have given us a primary report in which statements from some of the officials are still pending… If any of our officials are found guilty… we will take necessary action against them as per the rules…” Nagarajan said.
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The 150 people shifted to the municipal corporation-owned Bharimata community hall, around 1.5 km away from Nasirnagar, include the 26 petitioners, sources told The Indian Express.
Salma Khatun Shaikh, 70, who lost her home in the demolition, said, “I have been staying in Nasirnagar for the past 50 years. I had a house with a ground floor plus two upper floors. The land is owned by a private person, so how did the SMC and police carry out demolitions? My children, who were at home, were taken out of the house and it was razed.”
She added, “Since the past 29 days, we have been living on the debris in the open sky with my small grandchildren…”
The bare community hall had no other facilities except toilets, which Shaikh complained were “dirty”. However, by Saturday evening, Surat Municipal officials had made arrangements for bedsheets, mattresses and water, apart from cleaning of the toilet blocks.
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The SMC’s additional city engineer and Zonal Chief (Rander Zone) M D Chavda said, “We will provide all required facilities for the affected people.”
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