GUWAHATI, SEP 3: The Sonitpur district administration took out a massive eviction drive on Saturday morning, with heavy security deployment in place while 330 acres of land was being cleared.
According to reports, around 50 excavators, heavy machinery were used to demolished the existing houses in No 3 Chitalmari area in Barchalla on the northern bank of the Brahmaputra.
“The eviction drive is going on peacefully and with no resistance,” said a police oficial.
After serving eviction noticed, the residents, who were living in the area had already left with their belongings.
According to a district administration official, patrolling in the area by security forces was on since August 31, and that prompted the people to vacate the land voluntarily.
Most of the people had migrated to the area several decades ago from Nagaon and Morigaon districts on the southern bank of Brahmaputra following massive erosions.
Talking to media persons, Prasanta Kumar Bhuyan, IGP (L& O) Assam, said, “It is the basic human instinct, even you too carry sentiments with the place that you have been associated with for so long. But in totality, the entire drive is being carried in peaceful manner. The drive will carry on for the next 2-3 hours. Many have voluntarily vacated the location, but few were asked to leave the spot. Near about 1000-1500 families have been vacated from the place. The entire drive is going on peacefully. No form of resistance has been faced by the security personnel till now.”