Assam Eviction drive in Hailakandi to clear encroachments from forest land

    Hailakandi (Assam), Feb 3 (PTI) An eviction drive to clear encroachments from forest lands in Hailakandi district along the Assam-Mizoram inter-state boundary took place for the second consecutive day on Tuesday, a forest officer said.
    He said the anti-encroachment drive was underway peacefully, with most illegal settlers leaving in advance, he said.
    The eviction drive is underway in Damcherra forest village under the jurisdiction of Gharmora Inner Line Reserve Forest near the inter-state border with Mizoram.
    "No cement is strong enough to hold on to our bulldozers who are on a mission -- to free Assam from encroachments. An extensive eviction drive is underway in Hailakandi to free our forests and restore greenery," Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had posted on X on Monday.
    "Our Aim: Reclaiming every inch of what belongs to us," he added.
    The forest officer said about 2,800 bighas (924 acres) of land is targeted to be cleared of encroachments during the drive, with more than 500 families affected.
    "Yesterday, the eviction was carried out in sectors 5, 6 and 7. The drive is on in sectors 1, 2, 3 and 4 today. There is no resistance as such from the people with most families leaving with their property already," he said.
    "Adequate security deployment has been made and senior civil and police administration authorities are on the field to ensure that the drive is carried out smoothly," the forest officer said.
    Several bulldozers and excavators were deployed to clear illegal constructions and uproot large tracts of areca nut plantations, he said.
    "The eviction drive has been peaceful so far. We are expecting it to be over by today or latest by Wednesday," the officer added.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)