A CORRESPONDENT
NAGAON: In a major operation, the Nagaon district administration today launched a massive eviction drive at the Lutumari reserved forest area under the Kampur Revenue Circle.
The drive, carried out in collaboration with the police and forest department, aimed at removing encroachments from approximately 5,962 bighas of forest land.
According to officials, a special community had been occupying the land illegally for years, and the eviction drive was conducted in compliance with a Gauhati High Court directive dated August 18, 2025. Over 5,000 police personnel were deployed in four temporary camps to ensure a smooth operation. District Commissioner Debashish Sarma stated that around 70% of the affected families had voluntarily vacated the premises before the deadline, while the administration is making arrangements to remove the remaining encroachers with the help of 50 excavators and thousands of security personnel.
During the eviction drive, some affected families were seen crying and pleading for shelter, stating that they have nowhere to go. However, the administration assured that relief measures would be taken to rehabilitate the affected families.
The forest area had around 2070 kacha houses, 192 pucca houses, 3 mosques, 2 government schools, and 3 Jal Jeevan schemes, which were demolished during the drive.
In a related development, two individuals, identified as Abdul Awal and Yusuf Ali, were arrested for allegedly extorting money from affected families by circulating fake legal documents in the name of the High Court.
The eviction drive has sparked concerns about the rehabilitation of the affected families, who are now left without shelter and uncertain about their future.
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