Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI: The NGT (National Green Tribunal) has disposed of a suo motu case with a direction to the Chief Secretary, the Principal Chief Conservator of Forest and the Head of Forest Force of Assam to take expeditious steps to clear 4,240.40 hectares of encroached forest land in the Kamrup (M) district. The NGT also asked them to submit the action taken report to it (NGT) by December 31, 2026.
The case was heard by the bench of judicial member Justice B Amit Sthalekar and expert member Dr. Arun Kumar Verma of the Eastern Zone of NGT, Kolkata. The Original Application (1304 of 2024) was registered suo motu by the New Delhi Bench of the National Green Tribunal on the basis of a news item titled “large portion of forest areas in Kamrup (M) under encroachment: Govt.” Thereafter, in an issue on November 19, 2024, it was transferred to the Eastern Zone Bench of the National Green Tribunal, Kolkata, and renumbered as the original application (229/2024/EZ).
The Principal Chief Conservator of Forest and Head of Forest Force, Assam, filed their affidavit on March 6, 2025, wherein it stated that the Kamrup (M) District has 12 reserved forests covering an area of 28,380.09 Ha., out of which about 4,240.40 Ha. of forest land is under encroachment, mainly in South Kalapahar Reserved Forest, Fatasil Reserved Forest, Hengrabari Reserved Forest, Gotanagar Reserved Forest, Garbhanga Reserved Forest, Marakdola Reserved Forest, West Apricola Reserved Forest and Matapahar Reserved Forest. It is also stated that during 2022-23, ten eviction drives were conducted wherein 35 kuchha houses were removed, clearing an area of 1.51637 ha of forest land. Further during the year 2023-24, six eviction drives were conducted wherein three kuchha houses were evicted, clearing an area of 1.0241 ha of forest land. It is further stated that again in the year 2024-25, five eviction drives were conducted wherein 38 kuchha houses and two pucca houses were removed, clearing an area of about 1.016 ha of forest land.
The affidavit further admitted that the threat of encroachment of forest land generally exists, but the Forest Department remains vigilant and conducts regular eviction drives to restrain people from illegally occupying or encroaching on the forest lands. It also stated that claims have been received under the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 (hereinafter referred to as the ‘Forest Rights Act, 2006’), which are being processed as per law.
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