Removal of encroachment from forest land along Assam’s borders

HC asks Mizoram, Arunachal, Nagaland to submit steps taken

Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI: The Gauhati High Court has asked Mizoram, Nagaland, and Arunachal Pradesh to submit their respective affidavits within six weeks stating as to what measures they have taken to remove encroachments of forest lands along their borders with Assam.

The high court issued this order to the three states that share their borders with Assam in a recent hearing of a PIL filed in 2023 on encroachment of forest land along the inter-state borders.

Earlier, the division bench of the high court, comprising Chief Justice Vijay Bishnoi and Justice Suman Shyam, was not satisfied with the affidavits submitted by these three states, as their affidavits stopped short of giving details as to how they would make the encroached forest lands bordering Assam free from encroachment.

Assam Advocate General D. Saikia submitted before the court that the Assam government made attempts to free the encroached Inner-Line Reserve Forest areas along the Assam-Mizoram border. However, Assam could not free the encroached forest areas following resistance from people from Mizoram, he said.

The bench said, "Having taken into consideration the facts and circumstances of the case, we deem it appropriate to direct the counsels representing Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, and Mizoram to file their respective affidavits by mentioning the measures carried out by these states to remove illegal encroachment in the reserve forest lands situated in the Inner-State Border of these states with Assam."

According to official sources, Arunachal Pradesh encroached upon 16,144 hectares, Mizoram encroached upon 3679 hectares, and Nagaland encroached upon 59,490 hectares of Assam land. And most of the areas belong to forest reserves.

According to sources, the Assam government has been holding talks at different levels with these three neighbouring states regarding forest encroachments from time to time, but to no avail as the local people are involved in the encroachment. As and when they get opportune, they encroach upon forest lands on the Assam side, leading to conflicts between Assam forest staffers and the local people of these three states.

 Also Read: Guwahati: Encroaching upon KAAC’s power: Gauhati HC satisfied at adherence to MoS (sentinelassam.com)

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