Eviction Drive Targets Encroachment in Assam's Burhachapori Wildlife Sanctuary
Major Eviction Operation Underway
Sonitpur, January 5: An extensive eviction initiative commenced on Monday to remove encroachments from the Compensatory Afforestation land within the Burhachapori Wildlife Sanctuary in Assam’s Sonitpur district.
This operation is part of the state government's ongoing efforts to address the illegal occupation of both government and forest lands.
Coordinated by the Sonitpur district administration and the local forest department, the drive involved significant deployment of personnel and machinery to clear large areas of protected land.
Kamal Baruah, the Additional Deputy Commissioner (Revenue) of Sonitpur, stated that approximately 6,200 bighas of land across the Tezpur, Thelamara, and Dhekiajuli revenue circles had been designated for Compensatory Afforestation but was found to be illegally occupied.
“This land has been taken over for residential and agricultural purposes. A prior joint verification by officials from the revenue and forest departments led to notices being issued to the encroachers, requesting them to vacate,” Baruah explained.
Despite being given nearly a month to comply, most occupants did not vacate the premises.
“With few exceptions, the encroachers failed to leave within the given timeframe. Following the relevant protocols and laws, today’s eviction was executed to reclaim the land,” Baruah noted, mentioning that around 710 households were identified as encroachers.
The eviction began in the morning after officials made several public announcements urging residents to leave. They confirmed that all necessary procedural steps were taken before the operation started.
Baruah detailed that nearly 20 excavators, around 100 laborers, and approximately 500 police personnel were involved in the eviction process on Monday.
“The operation was overseen by a team of magistrates, including Sonitpur Deputy Commissioner Ananda Kumar Das and Superintendent of Police Barun Purakayastha. The eviction proceeded peacefully,” Baruah added.
Officials indicated that preparations for the operation had begun earlier, with a joint team from the Sonitpur district administration, the forest department, and the Nagaon Wildlife Sanctuary visiting the site on December 17 to evaluate the extent of encroachment.
The current eviction follows a significant operation in February 2023, during which around 1,900 hectares of land were cleared of illegal encroachments in the Char-Chapori region of the Burhachapori Wildlife Sanctuary.
Situated on the southern bank of the Brahmaputra River, the Burhachapori Wildlife Sanctuary covers an area of 44.06 square kilometers and plays a crucial ecological role within Assam’s protected area network.
It is bordered by Kaziranga National Park to the east, Orang National Park and Pabitora Wildlife Sanctuary to the west, Pakke–Nameri National Park to the north, and the reserve forests of Karbi Anglong to the south.