Guwahati, Feb 9 The Assam government has reclaimed 660 hectares of encroached land in Sribhumi Reserved Forest over the past two days, with another 220 hectares pending clearance, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Monday, as the state’s determined anti-encroachment campaign gathers pace.
Posting on X, Sarma said the “relentless pursuit continues”, emphasising that the operation was aimed at restoring forest lands and government property that had been illegally occupied.
He reiterated the government’s commitment to freeing every inch of encroached land, a signature priority of his administration since taking office. The current eviction drive in Sribhumi district’s Patharkandi sector is one of the largest in recent months.
Authorities issued eviction notices to more than 2,000 families and deployed heavy machinery along with security personnel to dismantle permanent and temporary structures within the reserved forest area.
Much of the targeted land has already been vacated, with remaining settlements being cleared progressively. This operation forms part of a broader crackdown launched by the Assam government across multiple districts, aimed at removing illegal encroachments from forest and government lands.
Since mid-2025, eviction drives have been carried out in Golaghat’s Uriamghat region, Dhubri, Hailakandi and other areas, reclaiming thousands of hectares and prompting the displacement of hundreds of settlers.
While the government insists the exercise is vital for protecting public land and preventing unauthorised occupation, several eviction drives have sparked controversy and criticism from civil society groups, who have raised concerns over rehabilitation and humanitarian impacts on affected families.
The Sribhumi operation is expected to continue in phases until the remaining 220 hectares are cleared, officials said, underscoring the administration’s stated resolve to uphold the rule of law and safeguard Assam’s natural resources.
--IANS
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