THE 10 subdistrict offices in Bao’an District collectively tore down 21,500 square meters of illegal structures Aug. 29. It was the district’s 23rd collective operation to dismantle illegal structures.

A total of 512 law enforcement officers and 53 vehicles were dispatched to dismantle 10 illegal structures around the district amid a heavy downpour.

In Xinqiao Subdistrict, the law enforcement officers tore down six rows of illegal structures made of brick walls and iron roofs. The structures had been used by logistics companies to store goods during the daytime, while some driver training schools occupied the area to train students to drive.

A lot of recycled waste and natural gas from illegal businesses were found near the illegal structures. The area has also been blamed for pollution issues, as some businesses and residential buildings discharge polluted water into the rivers nearby.

Before the demolition project, staffers from the Xinqiao Subdistrict Office negotiated with each business and household in the area and urged them to leave the illegal structures within a certain period of time.

The government will use the cleared space to build public parking lots, according to the subdistrict office. So far, a total of 364,600 square meters of illegal constructions have been torn down this year to make room for urban renovation in Xinqiao.

Dismantling work was carried out in the other nine subdistricts on the same day. The Xin’an Subdistrict Office tore down a row of makeshift rooms and container housing that was spread across an area of approximately 200 square meters in the downtown of Bao’an.

A temporary shelter for construction workers in Xixiang Subdistrict was also torn down. The shelter had been used to accommodate the construction workers who built Xixiang’s chamber of commerce, but was left there unattended after the construction project was completed.

On the afternoon of Aug. 29, a team of 50 people dismantled eight temporary structures near Jihe Expressway in Hangcheng Subdistrict. The structures were occupying the expressway illegally, posing hidden hazards to the area.

The other subdistrict offices also carried out dismantling work on the same day and pledged to continue clearing illegal structures for the rest of the year.(Cindy Zhang)