Eviction Drive at Ripu-Chirang Reserve Forest

Our Correspondent

KOKRAJHAR: Over 140 temporary sheds built illegally by the encroachers inside Ripu-Chirang Reserve forest bordering Kokrajhar and Chirang districts were destroyed during an eviction drive carried out by forest department recently. The eviction drive was jointly carried out by Chirang Forest Division, Kokrajhar Hultugaon Forest Division, NOGs and local public with the help of police and civil administration at Dolpani block areas under Runikhata forest range.

Sources said around 200 persons, led by Raju Brahma, Chirang DFO, and Kamleswar Brahma, DFO, Huntugaon, took part in the eviction with active cooperation from villagers.

DFO of Hultugaon Forest Range Division, Kokrajhar, Kamleswar Brahma said the eviction was carried out following the order from the State Government and BTC administration for eviction drive against fresh illegal encroachments in forest land to recover government land from encroachers. He said the Ripu-Chirang Reserve Forest fell under the buffer zones of Manas National Park and was famous for wild animals, elephants, butterflies, deer, golden langurs, leopard and birds and needed to be preserved.

DFO of Chirang Forest Division, Raju Brahma said that the illegal encroachers were found to be involved in poaching, cutting Sal trees and destroying dense jungles. Officials said 16,000 people had encroached the Ripu-Chirang Reserve Forest and built new villages like Gwmwtao, No -1 Lwkiguri and No- 2 Lwkiguri. Around 2,000 sheds or huts have been built in the illegally encroached area at Dolpani under Runikhata Forest range in Chirang forest division.

Majority of the encroachers have come from Dhekiajuli or are Bodos of Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh and they have been clearing up the forest area under Chirang district forest division. Forest officials also said eviction would continue after Durga Puja and the illegal settlers had already been notified.