In a significant move to reclaim protected forest land, the Assam Forest Department conducted a massive eviction operation at Dohikata Reserve Forest in Goalpara district on Sunday. The drive aimed to clear 1,143 bighas (152 hectares) of land that had been illegally occupied for several decades.
Decades of Encroachment Finally Addressed
According to forest officials, the encroached land had been under illegal occupation by 588 families for many years. Notably, authorities confirmed that none of these families belonged to any tribal community. The Dohikata Reserve Forest spans a total area of 12,349 bighas, making this eviction crucial for restoring ecological balance.
A senior forest official explained that decades of encroachment had severely disrupted wildlife movement patterns, leading to increased human-animal conflicts in the region. "This is an important reserve forest where encroachment has resulted in frequent man-animal conflicts, particularly involving elephants," the official stated.
Peaceful Execution and Voluntary Compliance
The eviction drive proceeded smoothly with remarkable cooperation from the settlers. Goalpara Deputy Commissioner Prodip Timung described the operation as "peaceful" and noted that eviction notices had been issued more than 15 days prior to the action.
"Around 70% of the settlers left voluntarily after receiving the notices, and the rest are in the process of vacating. No resistance was encountered during the operation," DC Timung confirmed.
The administration deployed adequate security personnel and used dozens of excavators and scores of tractors to carry out the clearance. "We divided the area into five blocks to carry out the eviction systematically," added Timung.
Ecological Restoration and Future Plans
Special Chief Secretary (Forest) MK Yadava emphasized that the cleared area falls within an important elephant corridor. Clearing this encroachment is expected to significantly reduce human-elephant conflicts in the region.
The forest department has planned restoration activities for the evicted land. "Plantation activities will be undertaken across the evicted area once the next plantation season begins," revealed a senior forest official.
This marks the third major eviction drive in the region this year, following similar operations at Paikan Reserve Forest in July and Hasila Beel in June, indicating the government's sustained effort to reclaim protected forest lands across Assam.
