GUWAHATI, JAN 11: Over 200 hectares of forest land were cleared by Lakhimpur district administration on Wednesday from illegal encroachers at Pabho reserve forest on the second day of the eviction drive.
According to officials, the massive eviction drive was carried out with 60 earthmovers, tractors and other devices in presence of 600 personnel from Assam police and central paramilitary forces.
It may be mentioned that Pabho reserve forest in Lakhimpur district of Assam was declared a reserve forest in 1941.
“From Tuesday, we have started the massive eviction drive to clear the forest land illegally occupied by encroachers. The second day eviction drive was completed in a peaceful manner,” said an official.
Earlier, the Lakhimpur district authority in Assam cleared 250 hactares of forest land from “illegal encroachers” from the Pabho reserve forest.
Many people of the region welcomed the eviction drive by the Assam government to reclaim forest lands, many also expressed displeasure for not granting more time to harvest their crops from the fields.