Daman tense after protest erupts against razing drive

Surat: At least 70 people, who were protesting against their eviction from the government land, were detained by police of the Union territory of Daman on Sunday.
A part of Daman has been witnessing protests by people for the past two days after the authorities demolished 120 illegal structures and houses built along a 700-metre stretch from Mato Daman Lighthouse to Jampore beach on the instructions of district collector Dr Rakesh Minhas.
Police had to resort to lathicharge and use water cannon to disperse the protesters on both the days.
Meanwhile, the authorities clamped section 144 of CrPC as a precautionary measure on whole of Moti Daman. The detained people were allowed to go in the evening.
A source in Daman collectorate said, “We trying to identify the real miscreants. We will take action against them once they are identified. The situation is under control.”
Incidents of encroachment of government land have been on the rise in the Union territory for the past some time.
However, no serious action has been taken before this against the encroachers by Daman administration, sources said.