Assam: 145 families evicted as Golaghat eviction drive clears 4,000 bighas
Guwahati: Assam government launched a major forest reclamation drive in the Golaghat district, evicting 145 families in the Negheribil area.
The eviction operation began on Friday at No. 2 Negheribil village in the Dayang Reserve Forest area. The Forest Department and district administration conducted a peaceful operation to clear illegal settlements.
Authorities confirmed that the administration of neighboring Nagaland and personnel from the Central Reserve Reserve Police Force (CRPF) cooperated fully to ensure the smooth execution of the operation.
According to Finance Minister and Golaghat MLA Ajanta Neog, the Assam government, led by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, has taken a firm stance to protect indigenous land rights and safeguard forest areas. This ongoing campaign aims to build a secure and ecologically sustainable Assam.
In the past two weeks alone, eviction drives in Golaghat have cleared over 4,000 bighas of forest land. On July 30, around 3,000 bighas were reclaimed in Uriamghat’s Rengma Reserve Forest, where 278 houses and a betel nut processing unit were demolished.
A few days later, an additional 1,000 bighas were recovered from Nambor South Reserve Forest after more than 350 households were peacefully removed.
These drives are being carried out with extensive support from security forces, including over 2,000 personnel from the Assam Police, CRPF, and forest guards, along with magistrates.
State officials have stated that the evictions are following strict legal and humanitarian protocols, ensuring minimal disruption while protecting the ecological integrity of Assam’s vulnerable forest belts.
The reclaimed areas, many of which are near the Assam-Nagaland border, are considered crucial for both environmental protection and maintaining demographic stability. The government plans to restore wildlife corridors, improve forest surveillance, and prevent future encroachments.
Local authorities have emphasized that these actions are intended to protect both the environment and Assam's indigenous communities from demographic pressure and ecological collapse.