Assam: Goalpara eviction drive clears 1,140 bighas of Dahikata forest land

Guwahati: Assam's Goalpara district administration on Sunday launched a large-scale eviction operation to clear illegal encroachments from the Dahikata Reserved Forest, reclaiming over 1,140 bighas of government land.

"The administration has launched a two-day eviction drive from today in the Dahikata Reserved Forest area of Goalpara district. Through this operation, around 1,140 bighas of land in the reserved forest are expected to be cleared of encroachments," said an official supervising the eviction drive.

"Necessary measures were taken to ensure law and order throughout the operation. Our objective is to reclaim every inch of government forest land that has been illegally occupied," he added.

The two-day drive, which began early in the morning around 5 a.m., marks one of the largest anti-encroachment operations in the district in recent years.

Heavy police deployment and district officials accompanied multiple bulldozers that rolled into the forest area to remove makeshift structures and settlements built on the reserved forest land.

According to officials, the operation was carried out peacefully for the most part, though minor resistance was reported from some of the encroachers.

District authorities confirmed that security personnel swiftly contained the situation, ensuring the eviction drive proceeded without major incident.

Among those detained during the drive was Abdul Hai, a local leader of the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), who reportedly attempted to intervene at the site.

Officials further noted that several families had already vacated the land voluntarily in the days leading up to the operation, following public announcements made by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma regarding the state’s firm stance on reclaiming encroached forest areas.

The Dahikata Reserved Forest, spread across multiple villages, has long faced issues of illegal settlement and deforestation.

Over the years, the encroachments have threatened local biodiversity and undermined forest conservation efforts.

Sunday’s eviction forms part of a larger state-wide initiative to protect Assam’s reserved forests from further encroachment.

While the Goalpara administration has not yet disclosed plans for similar operations elsewhere, sources indicate that surveys are underway in other districts to identify and reclaim encroached government land.

With this latest operation, authorities hope to restore ecological balance and reinforce the rule of law in protected zones that have long been under threat from illegal occupation.

Illegal encroachments also lead to human-wildlife conflict and demographic shift.