Nagaon administration set for major eviction drive in Lutumari Reserve Forest

Nagaon, Nov 19: In a significant development, the Nagaon district administration is gearing up to launch a major eviction drive in the Lutumari Reserve Forest area. According to reports, around 5,962 bighas of land in the forest area have been encroached upon by a section of people.

Nagaon district commis-sioner Devashish Sharma informed the media on Monday that the State government has decided to take strong action against encroachment of government and forest land. A high-level meeting was held recently in this connection and officials from the forest department and the district administration inspected the area and studied the situation on the ground.

The district administration had given a three-month notice to the encroachers to vacate the area. Although an extension was granted for harvesting sali paddy, the authorities have warned that failure to comply with the government's directive will result in strict action.

The district commissioner emphasised that the Lutumari Reserve Forest was declared a protected area in 1919, and no one is allowed to encroach upon the land. "We have instructed the encroachers to vacate the area and if they fail to do so within the specified time, we will take strong action

Addressing concerns about targeting of a particular community, Sharma clarified that the eviction drive is not aimed at any specific group. "We have also served notices to around 100 Assamese families residing in the area, and they have responded positively," he added.

Large-scale encroachment has been reported in areas such as Chankhola, Kandapar, Jurirpar, Medinipar, and Majgaon under the Lutumari Reserve Forest.