In order to remove “encroachment” from the Burhachapori Wildlife Sanctuary in the Sonitpur district, the Assam government launched an eviction effort on Tuesday.The administration has chosen to remove encroachment on 1,892 hectares of land during the ongoing exercise, according to Sonitpur Deputy Commissioner Deba Kumar Mishra, who stated that “thousands of people illegally occupied the forest area for decades.”He added that 2,513 families were listed as dwelling in the encroached forest area on records, and they had received orders to leave the property. Prior to the start of the drive, almost everyone had already left.Before the start of the drive to remove 1900 hectares of land from unlawful encroachment in the Char-Chapori area under Burhachapori wildlife sanctuary today, a large number of security officers have been deployed in the Sonitpur and Nagaon.When the anti-encroachment drive began, more than 2000 security forces, including paramilitary, home guards, CRPF, and Assam police, were stationed in the region to prevent any untoward incidents. For the eviction drive, 50 excavators and 30 tractors have been stationed in the Char-Chapori area close to the Burhachapori wildlife sanctuary.The district administrations of Sonitpur and Nagaon claim that several public lands in the regions have been unlawfully occupied by encroachers. According to them, one month ago they were notified by the administrations that they needed to leave the area.The majority of the approximately 11000 people who were living on the encroached land unlawfully have already fled after the eviction notice was issued a month ago. More than 2500 homes, mosques, and unauthorised schools have been built on more than 190 hectares of property close to the Burhachapori nature sanctuary.On January 10, the Lakhimpur district administration in Assam started a large-scale eviction campaign to clear some 500 hectares of forest land in the Pabho reserve forest.The district government of Assams Barpeta district launched a significant eviction campaign against encroachers earlier on December 26. The anti-encroachment drive was conducted in the Baghbar Satra Kanara area, where some persons had encroached on over 400 bighas of public land, in the presence of heightened security.During the encroachment drive, even a suspended MLA Sherman Ali from the Opposition Congress, who protested and called for the rehabilitation of those evicted, was arrested.Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on January 15 said that the Assam government has cleared encroachment from almost 90 percent area of the Pabha Reserve Forest in Lakhimpur district. Area of Delhi is also on the anti-encroachment listApart from this, DDA in New Delhi is also planning for the anti-encroachment drive in Mehrauli. Although, Arvind Kejriwals government has asked DDA to stop its anti-encroachment drive in the area. According to DDA officials, nearly 1200 square metres of government land was reclaimed during the drive in the Mehrauli Archaeological Park in the area.
