Thane, Jan 4: After a lull for more than three months, the massive demolition drive by the Ulhasnagar Municipal Corporation of the unauthorised structures began this morning at about 11.10 a.m.

However, the situation has been brought under control after the heavy deployment.

Besides the Zonal Deputy Commissioner of police, two ACPs and nearly a dozen inspectors were on duty.

One company of State Reserve Police and striking force and as many as 130 policemen, including a large number of women constables were deployed to carry out the bandobust.

A massive team of demolition squad of the UMC were on the task of pulling down the buildings with the help of JCBs.

More than 800 structures which have been declared illegal, having failed to comply with the government decision to get them regularised upon the orders of the Mumbai High Court will be pulled down in a time bound manner.

It may be recalled that there was a hue and cry over the mushrooming unauthorised consturctions and a writ petition in the High Court put the government in motion.

Incidentally, the UMC goes to polls on February 1, along with the nine more civic corporations in the state.

Police confirmed this afternoon that the drive was peaceful so far and were keeping their fingers crossed and did not committ anything further.

UNI