Guwahati: An eviction drive to remove encroachments from approximately 135 hectares of land in the Paikan Reserve Forest in Assam’s Goalpara district began on Saturday morning, officials said.
The operation, carried out with the deployment of around 40 excavators and a large number of security personnel, has remained peaceful so far, they added.
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“The eviction drive began in the morning and has been going on smoothly. Senior district and police officers are overseeing the operation,” an official said.
Goalpara Deputy Commissioner Khanindra Choudhury had earlier stated that around 95 per cent of the alleged encroachers had vacated the area voluntarily, dismantling their own structures. The drive was initially scheduled for Friday but was postponed by a day in view of Friday prayers, as the area has a significant Muslim population. This decision was confirmed by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
Goalpara Divisional Forest Officer Tejas Mariswamy said the eviction was aimed at clearing encroachments in the Paikan Reserve Forest under the Krishnai Range. “There are 1,080 families who have encroached on forest land. They were asked to vacate the area in November–December last year. Notices were served again last month, asking them to vacate by July 10,” Mariswamy said.
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According to the forest department, since 2023, encroachments have been cleared from 650 hectares across four forest ranges in the district. Of this, 200 hectares were under human habitation, while 450 hectares were used for cultivation.
Earlier this week, around 1,160 acres of encroached land were cleared in the Dhubri district, affecting close to 1,100 families in the villages of Charuwa Bakra, Chirakuta, and Santoshpur under the Chapar revenue circle. The land is being handed over to the Adani Group for a proposed thermal power project.
In that eviction drive, some resistance was reported. Alleged encroachers damaged excavators and attempted to confront police personnel, prompting the use of force to disperse the crowd.
Chief Minister Sarma, during a press conference in Guwahati on Thursday, said eviction drives would continue across the state. He said more than 25,000 acres of land had been cleared of encroachment over the past four years. He also mentioned that the Gauhati High Court had directed the government to clear forest lands and ensure the provision of basic facilities such as drinking water for those evicted.
The Congress party has criticised the ongoing eviction drives and stated that, if voted to power in Assam, it would compensate all Indian citizens displaced during the BJP government’s tenure.