In a significant eviction drive initiated on February 2 in Assam’s Barak Valley, authorities targeted the removal of 522 families from the Gharmura Inner Line Reserved Forest in Hailakandi district. The operation commenced early in the morning in the Damchhera area and is a joint effort between the district administration and the Forest Department, with plans to continue until February 4. This initiative is part of ongoing efforts to reclaim protected forest land and prevent future encroachments.
To facilitate the operation, the Forest Department has deployed 35 JCB machines and enhanced security measures. Over 1,500 security personnel, along with nearly 200 officials from the Forest Department, have been stationed on-site to uphold law and order during the eviction. The eviction zone is organized into seven sectors for efficiency; on the first day, evictions were conducted in Sectors 5, 6, and 7, with the remaining sectors scheduled for subsequent phases over the following days, according to Hailakandi Divisional Forest Officer Akhil Dutta.
Eviction notices were issued to the residents about two months prior to the operation, leading many families to voluntarily vacate the land, which allowed the authorities to conduct the initial phase with little resistance. The administration asserts that the primary objectives of the eviction are to protect forest land, restore ecological balance, and ensure that reserved forest areas are devoid of illegal occupation.
