Assam Team In Border Village To Verify Claims Of 'Attempted Encroachment' By Mizoram

Guwahati: In a fresh border row, Assam has accused Mizoram of encroachment attempt as reportedly, groups of people from Mizoram allegedly destroyed hundreds of trees along the disputed Assam-Mizoram border in Assam's Hailakandi district.

In this regard, a team of officials from civil administration, police, and forest department is in the Hailakandi district to verify the allegations of attempted encroachment by Mizoram.

According to reports, forest officials in Hailakandi said a large area was cleared and the groups wanted to destroy more forests, however, they were pushed back after the Assam police rushed to the area on Tuesday night.

Notably, there has been a long-standing border dispute between Assam and Mizoram. Last year, six Assam Police personnel died in firing along the border.

"At the moment, we cannot say if this is an encroachment or they were clearing forests for jhum cultivation on the Mizoram side itself," PTI quoted Hailakandi SP Gaurav Upadhyay as saying.

Notably, Assam shares a 164.6 kilometers border with Mizoram.

Speaking on the same, Hailakandi Deputy Commissioner Rohan Kumar Jha asserted that the area, where the forest was cleared, is within 600 meters of a border outpost in Assam.

''The area comes under Assam and it is a complete reserve forest,'' HT quoted him as saying.

He further apprised that he has written to his counterpart in Mizoram's Kolasib.

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