Only 29 hectares are free from any encroachment in Pabha reserve forest in Assam.
Bulldozers rolled out in Assam's Lakhimpur district today as part of a massive eviction drive to clear over 500 hectares of encroached forest land. Many families, who were residing illegally in the area, have already demolished their houses and moved out.
Over 800 security personnel, including those from the state police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), have been deployed in Pabha Reserve Forest for ensuring a smooth eviction drive.
In the reserve forest spanning 2,560.25 hectares, only 29 hectares are free from any encroachment. Hundreds of families have encroached upon the land over the past decades, according to official records. The illegal settlers include people from different parts of the state as well as locals who were displaced due to floods and erosion, added sources.
Around 500 hectares in Adhasona and Mohaghuli villagers are being cleared in the first phase of evictions today.
This will involve the eviction of about 100 families who remain there while about 80 families have already vacated, said authorities.
The drive began at 7:30 am and over 60 excavators and tractors have been deployed, Lakhimpur Additional Superintendent of Police Runa Neog told news agency PTI.
The Himanta Biswa Sarma-led government has been carrying out drives to free encroached lands in the state. Last November, the Nagaon district administration carried out a huge drive to evict 5,000 encroachers from Batadrava.