A major anti-encroachment operation entered its second day at the Lutumari Reserve Forest in Assam, where authorities pressed ahead with the removal of extensive illegal settlements to restore protected forest land.
On Friday, November 29, officials deployed excavators, including multiple JCBs, to demolish 1,441 unauthorised structures that had come up within the reserve over several years. The large-scale clearance marked one of the most significant eviction operations undertaken in the region in recent times.
According to officials supervising the drive, the operation progressed without any significant resistance from residents. Security forces were stationed across the area to ensure the demolition took place smoothly as teams from the Forest Department and the district administration jointly monitored the process. The encroachments reportedly included makeshift houses and betel-nut plantations that had gradually expanded deeper into the reserved zone.
Authorities confirmed that the eviction exercise will continue on Saturday to remove the remaining 13 illegal structures and clear several betel-nut orchards still left standing within the forest’s notified boundaries. “This is part of a sustained effort to protect and restore forest land. Illegal settlements cannot be permitted in notified reserve areas,” an official said.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has repeatedly stressed a zero-tolerance stance toward encroachment on forest and government land, framing such operations as necessary for environmental conservation and law enforcement. The ongoing drive in Lutumari is the latest in a series of measures undertaken across the state to safeguard ecologically sensitive zones.
With most unauthorised structures already cleared on the first day, the administration is expected to conclude the eviction process on Saturday, completing the full reclamation of the encroached portions of Lutumari Reserve Forest.
