660 Hectares Reclaimed in Two Days as Eviction Drive Continues in Assam’s Sribhumi: CM Sarma

Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has said that 660 hectares of forest land have been cleared in Sribhumi district over the past two days as part of an ongoing eviction drive, with another 220 hectares still to be reclaimed.

Taking to the micro-blogging site X, Sarma said the operation reflected the government’s continued push to reclaim encroached forest land.

“An eviction drive so GOATED, even Rinkiya ke Papa approves. 660 hectares reclaimed in Sribhumi in the last two days — 220 hectares more to be cleared. The relentless pursuit continues,” he wrote on X on Monday.

The eviction drive in Sribhumi follows a similar exercise carried out recently in Hailakandi district. The Forest Department had issued eviction notices to around 1,000 families allegedly residing illegally on reserved forest land under the Patharkandi constituency.

According to official sources, the notices were served in several villages, including Isharpar, Madhabpur, Balia, Madhurbond, Chagalmoya, Magura and Jogisora.

The notices directed residents to vacate the forest land within a stipulated time frame.

Following the issuance of the notices, many affected families began dismantling their homes on their own and preparing to shift to alternative locations. Several residents said they had been living in the area for decades and claimed there had been no objections from authorities in the past.

The eviction drive has raised concerns among local residents, with many saying they do not have alternative land or any rehabilitation arrangements. They have appealed to the authorities to consider their situation while carrying out the exercise.

Last month, a similar eviction drive was conducted in the southern forest areas of Hailakandi district, where officials said forest land under illegal occupation was reclaimed.

With the operation in Sribhumi, the state government has indicated that such drives will continue in an effort to protect reserved forest areas.

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