Authorities in Goalpara district began a large-scale eviction drive on November 9, 2025, targeting over 1,140 bighas (approximately 376 acres) of encroached land in the Dahikata Reserved Forest. The operation involved more than 900 personnel including police, paramilitary forces, forest guards, and over 20 excavators. Around 700 families, mostly non-tribal, have been residing illegally on this forest land and have been asked to vacate, with many already doing so voluntarily. The eviction is part of Assam government’s ongoing campaign to reclaim forest land and prevent illegal settlements, aiming to restore ecological balance and strengthen protected forest boundaries under the Assam Forest Department’s conservation plan. Despite some resistance, the administration maintained control, and the eviction follows directives from the Gauhati High Court as reaffirmed by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. The drive highlights the state’s zero-tolerance policy on encroachment and forms part of broader efforts to reclaim over 29 lakh bighas of encroached land across Assam.
