Golaghat, 29 July (HS): The Assam government has launched a massive eviction drive in the Rengma Reserved Forest area of the Uriamghat, located in the Sarupathar sub-division of Golaghat district near the sensitive Assam-Nagaland border. The drive aims to reclaim over 3,600 acres of forest land, in what officials have termed the largest anti-encroachment operation in the state so far.

According to district administration and forest department officials, the objective is to clear encroachments spread over approximately 11,000 bighas of reserved forest land. Around 1,500 families, who were served eviction notices earlier, are expected to be affected.

The first phase of the eviction began Tuesday morning in the main market area of Vidyapur under heavy deployment of police and forest personnel. Authorities stated that the operation will gradually move to residential areas, where 2,648 illegal structures across 12 villages have been identified for demolition. These villages include Sonaribil Top, Pithaghat No. 2, Dayalpur No. 2 and 3, Dalanpathar, Kherbari, Vidyapur, Vidyapur Bazar, Madhupur No. 2, Anandpur, Rajpukhuri, and Gelajan.

An official reported, “Around 2,000 families lived in this area. Out of these, 1,500 were served notices for illegal settlement, while the remaining have valid Forest Rights Committee (FRC) certificates.”

To ensure peaceful execution, over 2,000 Assam Police personnel and 500 forest protection staff have been deployed. Additionally, more than 100 excavators and Pokland machines have been stationed for the demolition work. Security vehicles and equipment have been mobilized from several districts including Golaghat, Merapani, Sivasagar, and Tinsukia.

Senior officials including Additional Superintendents of Police (ASP), Deputy Superintendents of Police (DSP) and Assistant Commissioners are overseeing the operation on the ground.

Officials emphasized that the eviction is being carried out in accordance with legal procedures, with the aim of preventing long-term encroachment and preserving the ecological integrity of the forest land. They also confirmed that nearly 80% of the families who received notices have voluntarily vacated the area. “We are only demolishing abandoned structures,” a senior district official said.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Sriprakash