More than 350 households were displaced in the Golaghat district on Sunday when the Assam government conducted an eviction campaign to remove alleged encroachment from over 1,000 bighas of forest land. The authorities launched a similar eviction campaign inside Nambor South Reserve Forest a day after concluding the first phase of a huge eviction campaign that lasted five days and cleared accused encroachments from nearly 11,000 bighas of forest land in Rengma Reserve Forest.
As per an official release, “Encroached areas in Gelajan and No. 3 Rajapukhuri were cleared during the day, with over 350 households evicted and nearly 1,000 bighas of forest land reclaimed. The eviction drive was carried out peacefully, without any resistance, reflecting the coordinated planning and execution by the authorities on the ground.”
To ensure that the operation went smoothly and legally, senior officials such as Senior Superintendent of Police Rajen Singh, Golaghat District Commissioner Pulak Mahanta, and Special Chief Secretary M K Yadav were present.
“This eviction initiative forms part of a broader ecological restoration strategy aimed at reclaiming forest land from illegal encroachment. With significant progress made today, the drive is set to continue in the days ahead, reinforcing the state’s commitment to protecting its vital forest ecosystems,” the statement said.
In collaboration with the Golaghat District Administration, Assam Police, Central Reserve Police Force, and the Government of Nagaland, the Assam Forest Department spearheaded the ongoing eviction campaign. The eviction effort at Sarupathar subdivision’s Rengma Reserve Forest in Uriamghat, which is located along the Assam-Nagaland border, uprooted almost 1,500 households, the majority of them were Muslim.
Additionally, 205 residents in the Doyang Reserve Forest’s Negheribil neighborhood under Merapani have received eviction warnings. On August 8, the drive there is expected to start.