On 9th February (Monday), Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma highlighted the constant campaign to remove illegal occupation in the state and informed that 660 hectares of forest land have been cleared in the Sribhumi district in the last two days, and 220 hectares are yet to be recovered.
“660 Hectares reclaimed in Sribhumi in the last 2 days- 220 hectares more to be cleared. The relentless pursuit continues,” he wrote while sharing a video of the eviction drive with Bharatiya Janata Party MP and singer Manoj Tiwari’s “Rikiya ke papa” playing in the background.
An eviction drive so GOATED, even Rinkiya ke Papa approves!
— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) February 9, 2026
660 Hectares reclaimed in Sribhumi in the last 2 days- 220 hectares more to be cleared.
The relentless pursuit continues… pic.twitter.com/uDKNx1OUaB
On 8th February (Sunday), the authorities commenced the significant action on unlawful settlements in the Patharkandi constituency’s reserved forests in an effort to reclaim over 12,000 hectares of encroached property. More than 2,000 households (or approximately 1,000 families, as reported by other sources) were served with eviction orders.
Several villages, including Isharpar, Madhabpur, Balia, Madhurbond, Chagalmoya, Magura, and Jogisora, received notices instructing the illegal residents to leave the forest land within a specified timeframe. Afterwards, many people started demolishing their homes and leaving the area.
Senior district and forest officials, with heavy assistance from police and paramilitary troops, are present on location for security and to uphold law and order. They are now concentrating on clearing encroachment from the remaining settlements, as several individuals have already left their houses.
The goal is to restore the area to its original forest condition by tearing down illegal houses, temporary buildings and overgrown vegetation. The administration has used elephants to assist in navigating the difficult terrain and has dispatched over fifty pieces of heavy machinery, including JCBs and excavators. More officers from the state’s forest and police divisions have been assigned to supervise the operation and maintain peace.
Several Patharkandi reserved forest regions, including Madhurban, Narayanpur, Chagalmowa, Madhabpur, Badshahi and Dohalia are affected by the eviction. According to officials, the initiative is a component of continuous program to rehabilitate forest areas and stop further encroachments.
A similar exercise was implemented in the Hailakandi district of the state. “912 acres, an area bigger than the campus of IIT Guwahati has been freed in Hailakandi. As our bulldozers rolled in since yesterday, we reaffirmed our commitment to reclaim every inch of our land from encroachers. It’s a question of our survival, and we shall emerge victorious,” Sarma remarked on 3rd February.
