Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday said the state government has reclaimed a massive stretch of land from illegal encroachers, describing the scale of recovery as comparable to some of the world’s major urban areas.
Taking to the micro-blogging site X, the Chief Minister stated that the land recovered by the Assam government so far is equivalent to twice the size of Paris and around 3.4 times the area of Manhattan in the United States.
According to Sarma, more than 1.5 lakh bighas of land have been reclaimed during eviction drives carried out across the state. He said the figures highlight the scale of encroachments that had taken place over the years and the challenges posed by illegal occupation.
“We haven't just reclaimed lands; we have reclaimed areas equivalent to mega cities, and there is still a long way to go. The recovered land is twice the total land area of Paris and about three and a half times the size of Manhattan,” the Chief Minister said, adding that encroachments had posed a serious threat to the state’s land resources.
He also noted that the recovered land is equivalent to nearly 28,100 football pitches, underlining the large physical footprint that has been restored for public use.
Sarma asserted that the state government remains determined to continue its efforts to clear illegal encroachments and reclaim public land for the people of Assam.