Over 1000 bighas of land cleared of encroachment in Goalpara's Dahikata reserved forest, returned to elephants: Assam Forest Special Chief Secretary

The Goalpara District Administration in coordination with the Forest Department successfully cleared 1,140 bighas of encroached land within the Dahikata Reserved Forest under the Matia Revenue Circle on Sunday, November 9.

The eviction drive, which began early in the morning at 5:30 a.m., was conducted peacefully and without any untoward incidents, officials confirmed. More than 20 excavators and over 100 security personnel were deployed to ensure a smooth operation.

According to the authorities, a total of 588 families who had been illegally residing within forest limits were evicted as part of the drive.

Addressing reporters at the eviction site, M K Yadava, Special Chief Secretary of the State Forest Department, said the operation marked a significant achievement in protecting Assam’s forest reserves.

“We have successfully cleared 1,140 bighas of encroached land from the Dahikata Reserved Forest. Notices were served a month ago, and nearly 70 percent of the families had already vacated voluntarily before today’s operation,” Yadava said.

He added that the reclaimed area holds ecological importance as it is linked to the Sri Sri Surya Pahar heritage site and serves as a crucial habitat for wild elephants.

“Today, we have returned this land from human occupation back to the elephants. From tomorrow, we will begin installing fencing and initiate reforestation efforts to restore the natural ecosystem,” Yadav further stated.

Officials revealed that around 30 percent of the remaining encroachers were evicted during the final phase of the operation. Plans are also underway to remove invasive vegetation and plant new trees to aid in the regeneration of the forest landscape.

The eviction drive and subsequent press briefing were attended by District Commissioner Pradip Timung, Divisional Forest Officer Tejas Moriswamy, and Superintendent of Police Navanit Mahanta, among other senior officials.

The department has emphasized that the eviction is part of a larger conservation initiative aimed at reclaiming encroached forest lands across Assam and restoring wildlife habitats, particularly for elephants whose migratory corridors have been disrupted due to human encroachment.