1.19 L bighas reclaimed, forests, wildlife slowly returning: CM on eviction drives

Guwahati, July 15: Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, on Tuesday, gave a detailed account of the state’s anti-encroachment efforts, claiming that over 1,19,548 bighas (approximately 160 sq km) of land have been reclaimed from alleged illegal settlers over the past four years (2021-2026).

“Since our government began these drives, we’ve been able to free vast swathes of reserved forests, wildlife sanctuaries, grazing lands, and religious land from encroachment,” he said, during a press meet at Lok Sewa Bhawan, Dispur.

According to official figures, land has been reclaimed across several categories:

• Over 84,700 bighas from reserved forests and wildlife sanctuaries
• Nearly 3,650 bighas from village grazing reserves (VGR) and professional grazing reserves (PGR)
• More than 26,700 bighas of common government land
• Around 4,450 bighas from religious institutions, including satras, namghars, and temples

Chief Minister Sarma asserted that in many of these areas, forest regeneration has already begun, and wildlife is returning to key habitats.

“Some people are trying to create a narrative that after eviction, people return to the same land or that we’ve handed it over to someone else. I want to make it very clear — this is not true,” Sarma asserted.

Data of land evicted across Assam

This was followed by a presentation by Special Chief Secretary (Forest), M.K. Yadava, highlighting the ecological recovery underway in various regions.

“In places like Goalpara, the change is visible. Forest land that had been converted into settlements and farmlands is now regenerating,” Sarma noted.

In Goalpara’s Paikan Reserve Forest, 138 hectares were cleared in July 2024, and 130 hectares in Athiabari Reserve Forest were freed in March 2024, he said.

Settlers had earlier cleared these forests to grow bamboo and sal trees, but after eviction, elephants have started returning to these areas.

In Lumding Reserve Forest, 1,410 hectares were cleared in November 2021. Sarma claimed that nearly 200 elephants, along with leopards and snakes, have since been spotted in the area.

In Burachapori Wildlife Sanctuary, 2,112 hectares were reclaimed in February 2023. The area, once turned into farmland, had seen severe wildlife loss — including the death of ten rhinos. “Now, rhinos are returning, and the forest cover is steadily growing back,” Sarma said.

In Pabha Reserve Forest (Lakhimpur), 1,750 hectares were cleared in January 2023. Large swathes of land had been converted into mustard fields and leased to outsiders. “In some cases, single individuals had encroached 300 to 400 bighas each,” the CM said.

In Orang Tiger Reserve, 2,899 hectares were cleared in May 2023. Sarma said these efforts are not only restoring forest cover but are also proving crucial for the revival of displaced wildlife populations.

Addressing criticism over isolated incidents such as tree-felling in Guwahati for development, Sarma said, “When one or two trees are cut in Guwahati, people protest. But the same voices are silent about the thousands of hectares of forests we’ve recovered.”

He added that the Forest Department would soon issue a detailed update on the current status and future plans for the reclaimed areas.

“Our priority is to ensure that these lands remain protected and that wildlife returns to its natural habitat. Assam’s forests are finally witnessing a positive transformation after years of neglect,” the Chief Minister said.