Bulldozers roll in Goalpara to clear 55 hectares of Bandarmatha Forest Reserve
AT Photo: Eviction drives undertaken in Goalpara
Goalpara, Sept 24: After a prolonged seven-month delay, the Goalpara district administration began its eviction drive to clear 55 hectares of the 118.02-hectare Bandarmatha Reserve Forest from encroachers on Tuesday.
Armed with bulldozers, officials dismantled several structures, including residences of alleged settlers in the area, where, according to estimates, over 400 families are believed to have encroached.
Heavy security was deployed at the site to prevent any untoward incidents.
The eviction drive follows multiple notices issued by the district administration to clear the illegally occupied forest land, in line with a 2022 High Court order.
Two years ago, the Gauhati High Court had initiated a suo motu PIL regarding encroachments in the Bandarmatha Reserve Forest, which were disrupting elephant movement.
Following which, the court had directed the government to remove the encroachments, though the eviction process remains incomplete.
“Goalpara district reports human-animal conflict almost every month. Around 25 people die annually in these conflicts, which is alarming. If we don’t protect our reserve forests from encroachment, such deaths will only increase,” Divisional Forest Officer, Goalpara Division, Tejas Mariswamy told The Assam Tribune.
Mariswamy added that after the eviction, the department plans to restore the area as a habitat for wild elephants.
“There will be boundary demarcation, and we will plant saplings, including bamboo and local species, next year during the plantation season. We hope these efforts will help reduce human-animal conflict,” he said.
Earlier in January, around 50 families were evicted during a similar drive against illegal encroachers at Pancharatna village in the forest range.
Mariswamy had then stated that the administration and forest department have planned several eviction drives in the district. He had also highlighted that the rise in human-elephant conflicts in the region is due to illegal encroachment.
