The Assam government has continued its sustained campaign against illegal land occupation, with a major eviction drive carried out on 3 February along the Assam–Mizoram border. The operation focused on forest land and was completed without violence, as most illegal settlers vacated the area before the authorities moved in. In total, 912 acres, also measured as 2,800 bighas, of forest land were cleared during this drive.

The action took place in Hailakandi district and formed part of the state’s broader effort to reclaim land that has been unlawfully occupied over the years. The cleared land lies along a sensitive border zone, making the operation significant both from an administrative and environmental point of view.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma publicly addressed the development through a post on X, drawing attention to the scale of the land reclaimed. He noted that the area freed from encroachment was larger than the campus of IIT Guwahati, underlining the magnitude of the operation. Reiterating his government’s position, the Chief Minister stressed that the state would not retreat from its efforts to recover land taken over illegally.

“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,” he said.

According to official reports, the eviction drive targeted the Gharmora, also spelled Gharmura, Inner Line Reserve Forest located in the Damchera forest village area. Over time, illegal settlers had built houses and cultivated crops on this protected land. These activities included betel nut plantations and other forms of farming that are not permitted in reserve forests. The operation affected more than 500 families, many of whom had already left by the time officials arrived.

Akhil Dutta, the Divisional Forest Officer of Hailakandi, provided details of how the drive was conducted. He explained that nearly 50 percent of the eviction work was completed on 2 February, while the remaining portion was finished the following Tuesday across sectors 1, 2, 3, and 4. He clarified that every structure removed fell within the Inner Line Reserved Forest under the Garmura Range, where both commercial and non-forest activities are strictly banned.

“Betel nut, coffee, tea or rubber plantations all fall under non-forest commercial activities. Reserved forests are not permitted for such purposes. These activities violate the Forest Conservation Act, 1980, and the eviction is being carried out to uphold the law,” the DFO said.

Assam Government’s Ongoing Action Against Illegal Encroachments

Over the past few years, the Assam government, led by the BJP, has significantly stepped up eviction drives across the state. These actions have targeted forest reserves, wildlife sanctuaries, and government-owned land. Since 2021, the state has cumulatively reclaimed tens of thousands of acres of land. The government maintains that these measures are essential to protect indigenous rights, preserve natural resources, and prevent demographic changes driven by illegal settlement, particularly by Rohingya and Bangladeshi infiltrators.

In January 2026, a two-day eviction operation was carried out in the Burhachaori Wildlife Sanctuary, which extends across Sonitpur and Nagaon districts. During this drive, authorities cleared around 6,200 bighas, equivalent to 830 hectares, of encroached forest land. The action led to the displacement of 710 illegal encroacher families. The affected areas fell under the Tezpur Sadar and Dhekiajuli revenue circles and included Jamuktol, Arimari, Siyalichar, Baghetapu, Galatidubi, Lathimari, Kundulichar, Purba Dubramari, and Batulichar.

An official involved in the process stated, “After the clearance of about 40 per cent of the land from the clutches of land encroachers, the Sonitpur district administration launched the eviction operation in the remaining land.”

Earlier, in February 2025, the BJP administration freed more than 2,099 hectares of land in the Burhachapori Wildlife Sanctuary and nearby villages. This particular drive impacted approximately 12,800 people, reflecting the scale of long-standing encroachments in the region.

Another major operation took place in January 2026 in the Jamuna–Maudanga Reserve Forest of Hojai district. Here, the government cleared 5,250 bighas, or about 1,700 acres, of forest land. Officials stated that over 1,500 families from the Muslim community had illegally occupied the area. The reserve forest itself spans more than 8,000 bighas.

District Commissioner Bidyut Bikash Bhagawati revealed that several encroachers claimed to have lived on the land for over thirty years, while others said their occupation stretched back around twenty years. The district administration further noted that these individuals had settled primarily for cultivation and also owned land outside the forest area, both within Hojai district and in other regions.

It must be recalled that in November 2025, Chief Minister Sarma had made his position clear, stating that “illegal Miyas” would not live in peace under his government, as eviction drives would continue across Assam.

On 5 December 2025, the Nagaon district administration, working with the police and the Forest Department, cleared 38 bighas of government and forest land from illegal occupation. Around 100 families had been served notices in advance and were directed to vacate land under Bhakatgaon in Khatuwal Mouza, where they had built houses unlawfully.

In the latter half of November, another large-scale eviction drive cleared 5,962 bighas, or roughly 2,000 acres, of land from the Lutumari Forest Reserve in Nagaon district. The operation followed two days of bulldozing and covered the Chankhola, Kandapara, Juripar, Bederipar, and Majgaon areas of the Kachua Lutumari Wildlife Sanctuary under the Kampur Forest Regional Office.

Officials reported that valuable trees had earlier been cut down by smugglers, creating open land that was later occupied by settlers from various locations. Over the years, about 1,700 Muslim families had established clustered settlements, planted betel nut orchards, and started other agricultural activities. Brick houses were constructed, and the administration had provided electricity and set up schools in the area.

Similar action was taken in Goalpara district, where authorities began clearing 1,140 bighas, equivalent to over 376 acres, inside the Dahikata Reserve Forest. Nearly 600 families, most of them reportedly Bangladeshi infiltrators, were evicted. Officials said the process remained peaceful, with about 70 percent of the families vacating after receiving eviction notices, while the rest were in the process of leaving.

In October 2025, the Sribhumi district administration demolished 21 structures across two villages. Most of these were illegal residential and commercial buildings in Shibbari and Ghilaiti villages under the Patharkandi constituency.

Earlier, in August 2025, authorities freed 26 hectares of land from encroachment in the Rengma Reserve Forest area in Golaghat district. This forest covers more than 827 acres. In July 2025, an eviction drive in the Paikan Reserve Forest of Goalpara district cleared 140 hectares, or roughly 1,038 to 1,040 bighas, of forest land. Divisional Forest Officer Tejas Mariswamy stated that 1,080 families had built houses there after migrating from nearby regions or Bangladesh.

On 8 July 2025, the Assam government carried out a large eviction drive in Dhubri district, clearing over 1,150 acres of government land encroached by Bengali Muslims. Around 1,400 families were displaced, and while the operation covered three locations, it turned violent in the Chapar area.

Just days earlier, on 3 July 2025, eviction drives in three locations in Lakhimpur district led to the demolition of over 300 houses belonging to Muslim families who had been living in Village Grazing Reserve areas despite receiving prior notices.

In June 2025, the Jorhat district administration demolished illegal residential and commercial structures on government land along Kabristan Road. The action sparked protests by local Muslims supporting Azad Choudhary, whose properties were among those removed. Choudhary had reportedly named the area “Dhaka Patti,” after the capital of Bangladesh.

The Assam government has consistently stated that all eviction drives are carried out strictly according to law, with notices issued well in advance. In recent years, the Himanta Biswa Sarma-led administration has reclaimed between 40,000 and 42,500 acres of land. Despite protests, occasional violence, and criticism from various quarters, the government has remained firm in its resolve to continue its campaign against illegal land encroachment and protect the state’s land and resources.