Guwahati: The Assam government will shortly begin a large-scale operation to remove illegal occupation of forest land in Goalpara district, Finance and Forest Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah said on Monday.
He said the exercise is intended to reclaim forest areas, protect indigenous communities and improve wildlife habitats to help curb human-animal conflict.
Baruah, the Guardian Minister of Goalpara, reviewed the situation during a day-long visit to the district.
He inspected the proposed Nalbari Reserved Forest under the Lakhipur Forest Range before visiting several forest stretches affected by encroachment.
After assessing the sites, the minister said eviction operations would cover all four forest ranges in Goalpara, with the objective of recovering land occupied illegally.
He said the loss of forest cover due to encroachment has disrupted the movement of elephants and other wild animals, contributing to an increase in encounters between wildlife and nearby settlements.
According to him, reclaiming these areas is necessary to restore the natural ecosystem and reduce such incidents.