Assam: Fresh Eviction Drive At Lutumari Reserve Forest, 600 Houses In Target

New Update

A fresh eviction drive is set to be carried out at the Lutumari Reserve Forest in Kampur, Assam, amid the festive season of Kati Bihu and Durga Puja, as the administration moves to clear alleged encroachments from the protected forest area.

Around 1,700 families had allegedly encroached upon nearly 5,962 hectares of land in the reserve forest and established settlements there. The latest eviction drive will target houses in No. 9 Kheroni Tongia, where around 600 people are residing.

The move comes nearly a year after the Forest Department carried out an eviction drive in November last year, removing around 1,200 families from the forest area. However, some of those affected had approached the High Court, citing land allotment as the basis for their claims over the occupied land.

Following the legal proceedings, the petitioners failed to secure relief from the court. Subsequently, the administration issued notices directing the remaining occupants to vacate the forest land.

While several families reportedly left the area after the notices, those who remained now face eviction, with the administration preparing to use bulldozers to clear their houses.

The proposed operation once again brings the issue of encroachment in Assam's reserve forests into focus. While the authorities aim to reclaim forest land, eviction drives also raise concerns about the displacement of families living in bdnnc settlements.

The latest action at Lutumari is part of the continuing efforts to clear alleged encroachments from protected forest areas. The operation is expected to affect hundreds of residents in No. 9 Kheroni Tongia, making it a significant development in the administration's ongoing drive to reclaim the reserve forest land.

Also Read: ASSAM: Nagaon Administration Prepares for Major Eviction in Lutumari Reserve Forest