Assam reclaims a ‘Gurugram-Sized’ forest land from infiltrators: Himanta Biswa Sarma

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on November 11 announced that the state government has successfully freed 193 square kilometres of forest land from encroachment by infiltrators — an area equivalent to the size of Gurugram district in Haryana.

Speaking at a public function, Sarma said the eviction drive marks a major victory in the state’s ongoing effort to protect its forest reserves and safeguard the rights of indigenous and tribal communities. He asserted that “the biggest threat to the tribal community comes from infiltrators” who have, for decades, illegally occupied large tracts of forest land in various districts of Assam.

“Despite immense pressure from the Ecosystem, our government has freed 193 sq km of forest land—equivalent to the area of Gurugram district—from encroachment,” the Chief Minister said, underscoring that the government remains steadfast in its mission to restore ecological balance and ensure forest protection.

Sarma further added, “We are on a mission to protect our forests. But in the forest areas of Goalpara and Kamrup districts, some doubtful people have entered and destroyed them. As a result, a large portion of land has been occupied by these unknown people. Before, no government ever tried to evict them. But after our government came, we freed 1 lakh 45 thousand bighas of forest land from encroachers. If we evict them at the very beginning, we can prevent bigger mishaps in the future.”

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The Chief Minister maintained that successive governments had turned a blind eye to the encroachment issue, allowing infiltrators to steadily occupy protected land. However, under the present administration, eviction drives have been carried out in multiple districts, including Darrang, Nagaon, and Lakhimpur, to reclaim government and forest land.

“Assam’s forests are the lungs of our environment and the backbone of tribal livelihoods. Protecting them is both a constitutional duty and a moral responsibility,” Sarma added.

Officials from the Forest Department confirmed that after the eviction, the reclaimed land will be restored through afforestation projects to revive the ecosystem. The government also plans to introduce stricter surveillance mechanisms to prevent re-encroachment in the future.

The latest eviction drive is part of the state’s broader campaign to recover government and forest land from illegal occupation and ensure sustainable use of natural resources across Assam.