Ghaziabad, Feb. 5 -- In the past four months, the Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA) has taken action against illegal constructions spread over 60,000 square metres, including demolishing 30 unauthorised colonies being developed by alleged land mafias, officials said. The intensified crackdown, from October 2024 till January 2025, follows the procurement of four new earthmoving machines in November, which bolstered enforcement efforts.

Officials familiar with the development said that in the four-month period prior to October 2024, the authority had only managed to act on 15,000-20,000 sqm of illegal construction due to the limited availability of just two old earthmoving machines.

"The inclusion of four machines has proved successfu...