The Assam government completed a large eviction drive to remove alleged encroachment from about 6,200 bighas, or nearly 830 hectares, of land inside the Burhachapori Wildlife Sanctuary on January 6. The operation affected around 710 families as per officials record.
The two-day drive began on January 5 and was carried out across areas in Sonitpur and Nagaon districts. According to the administration, the land had been illegally occupied inside the protected forest area.
Eviction drive carried out across multiple locations
Sonitpur District Commissioner Ananda Kumar Das said nearly 710 families had illegally occupied forest land within the sanctuary. âOver the course of the two-day operation, the administration successfully evicted all illegal occupants and freed the encroached land,â he said, as quoted by India Today NE.
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The eviction was conducted in several areas under the Tezpur Sadar and Dhekiajuli revenue circles, including Jamuktol, Arimari, Siyalichar, Baghetapu, Galatidubi, Lathimari, Kundulichar, Purba Dubramari and Batulichar. Officials said around 40 per cent of the land had already been cleared earlier, and the latest drive focused on removing the remaining encroachments.
Officials said the alleged encroachers had built houses and were cultivating crops inside the sanctuary. While many families dismantled their homes and moved out on their own, some requested more time, citing severe cold conditions and the need to harvest crops. The administration declined to stop the drive, stating that illegal occupation of forest land could not be allowed in any season.
As per a report of India Today NE, Sonitpur Senior Superintendent of Police Barun Purakayastha said the operation was completed peacefully. More than 300 police personnel were deployed to maintain law and order, and the administration used 36 excavators and 60 tractors during the eviction.
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Last year, the Assam government carried out one of its largest eviction drives in the same area, clearing approximately 2,099 hectares of land in and around the Burhachapori Wildlife Sanctuary, which affected nearly 12,800 people. In July, clashes broke out when some occupants attempted to re-enter the cleared land, leaving one person dead and at least seven injured.
About Burhachapori Wildlife Sanctuary
Burhachapori Wildlife Sanctuary spans 44.06 square kilometres on the southern bank of the Brahmaputra, approximately 180 km east of Guwahati and 40 km south of Tezpur. It forms part of the LaokhowaâBurhachapori ecosystem and serves as a notified buffer zone of Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve.
The sanctuary is home to wildlife such as the one-horned rhinoceros, tiger, leopard, wild buffalo, hog deer, wild pig and elephants, along with several bird species, including the critically endangered Bengal florican.
