Two-day eviction drive at Lumding Reserve Forest

A CORRESPONDENT

NAGAON: The Hojai administration on Monday kick-started the two-day eviction drive in Lumding Reserve Forest of the district and dismantled 555 households that were illegally constructed inside the reserve forest long back. The initiative, known as the second major eviction drive by the government in two months after the Gauhati high court ordered clearing of the encroached parts of the reserve forests.

According to Hojai administration, altogether 650 houses had been traced by the administration inside the reserve forest and 85 per cent of these houses had already been dismantled during the day-long drive. The remaining houses will be covered under the drive on Tuesday.

According to the official record, altogether 640 hectare reserve forest area was in the hands of the encroachers. Most of the encroachers came to the reserve forest between 1995 to 2005 and encroached on the large area for agriculture purposes. "Today's eviction drive ended smoothly without any law and order problem. Most of the encroachers had left the site before the administration reached the site for the drive," a source said.

Also Read: Assam Govt Deploys 1,000 Cops, CRPF Personnel To Evict Settlers From Lumding Forest

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