Guwahati: The Forest Department is preparing to launch a large-scale eviction drive targeting illegal encroachers in multiple forest areas of Hojai district in Assam, including the Jamuna Maudanga Reserved Forest under the South Nagaon Forest Division.
Officials said encroachers have occupied significant tracts of forest land over the past decades.
Authorities allege that the encroachers cleared forest cover, converted the land into betel nut plantations, dug ponds for fish farming, and engaged in other anti-social activities.
In response, the Forest Department has stepped up efforts to reclaim the land and protect the forest ecosystem.
On December 11, a high-level inspection of the affected areas was conducted by the Forest Department’s Special Principal Secretary, MK Yadav, along with senior officials.
The inspection team included the senior superintendent of police of the Forest Protection Force, the Hojai Additional Superintendent of Police, the Divisional Forest Officer (South Nagaon), Nayan Jyoti Rajbongshi, the Daboka Circle Officer, the Officer-in-Charge of Daboka police station, and other top district administration officials.
The team inspected and marked areas for eviction, including Udmari, Jamuna village, Ganiarpar village, and nearby localities within the Jamuna Maudanga Reserved Forest, previously part of the Daboka Reserved Forest.
Officials noted that over the past 30 years, encroachers have destroyed trees and other forest resources across roughly 6,000 bighas of forest land.
They have also built permanent houses and settled families, raising serious concerns for the local ecosystem. Agricultural activities have further expanded on the encroached land.
During the inspection, officials discussed strategies and operational plans to ensure a systematic and organized eviction drive.
The Forest Department has already issued notices to 1,250 families occupying over 5,500 bighas of forest land. These notices, sent on October 10, gave residents a one-month deadline to vacate the forest area.
While some families reportedly left voluntarily, most continue to reside on the encroached land, citing uncertainty over relocation and livelihood options. Sources confirmed that the Forest Department, in coordination with the Hojai district administration, may launch the eviction drive at any time to restore the reserved forest land and protect the forest ecosystem.