Assam Evicts Over 1,100 Families As Reserved Forest Land Cleared In Nagaon

An eviction drive was launched on Saturday in Assam’s Nagaon district to remove settlements from 795 hectares of reserved forest land, affecting around 1,500 families, officials said.

The operation began in the Lutimari area in the morning with a significant deployment of security personnel, PTI reported. Notices had been issued to the encroachers three months ago, asking them to vacate within two months. Following requests from residents for an extra month, the district administration granted the extension, an official told PTI.

So far, over 1,100 families living in both pucca and kuccha houses have left the area with their belongings, dismantling the illegally constructed structures, the official added. The remaining houses are being demolished as part of the ongoing drive, according to authorities.

Some residents told PTI that they had been living in the area for more than 40 years and were unaware it was reserved forest land.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had previously stated that over 160 sq km of encroached land had been cleared since he assumed office in May 2021. He also said that more than 50,000 people have been displaced as part of such anti-encroachment drives.

After a temporary pause, the operations resumed on June 16, resulting in the eviction of over 5,000 families since then. Most of those displaced belong to the Bengali-speaking Muslim community, who claim their ancestors had settled in the area after losing land in the ‘char’ or riverine regions due to Brahmaputra’s erosion.

According to PTI, the administration emphasised that the drive is aimed at restoring reserved forest land and that all evictions are being carried out in line with prior notices and legal procedures.

(With inputs from PTI)