Guwahati: 145 Families Evicted in Negheribil as Assam Begins Major Forest Reclamation Drive on Sunday in Golaghat district.
Golaghat Legislator Ajanta Neog Said .
A major eviction drive was launched on Friday at No. 2 Negheribil village in the Dayang Forest Region of Golaghat district, where the Forest Department and district administration jointly carried out a peaceful operation to clear encroachments. So far, a total of 145 families have been evicted from the reserve area. Authorities confirmed that the administration of neighbouring Nagaland and personnel from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) extended full cooperation to ensure smooth execution of the operation.
The Assam government, under the leadership of Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma, has adopted a strong stance to protect indigenous land rights and safeguard forest areas. The ongoing efforts aim to build a secure and ecologically sustainable Assam, with growing public support behind the campaign.
In line with the state’s escalating forest conservation mission, authorities have intensified eviction drives in multiple parts of Golaghat district, targeting illegal settlements in protected forest zones. Following earlier actions in Uriamghat and Nambor South Reserve Forest, the fresh operation in Negheribil marks another major step in reclaiming ecologically critical land from decades of encroachment.
In the last two weeks, eviction drives have cleared over 4,000 bighas of forest land in Golaghat alone. On July 30, around 3,000 bighas were freed in Uriamghat’s Rengma Reserve Forest, where 278 houses and a betel nut processing unit were demolished. Just days later, an additional 1,000 bighas were recovered from Nambor South Reserve Forest after peacefully removing over 350 households.
These drives are supported by an extensive deployment of security forces, with over 2,000 personnel including Assam Police, CRPF, forest guards, and magistrates actively monitoring the operations. State officials have stressed that the evictions are being carried out under strict legal and humanitarian protocols, ensuring minimal disruption while protecting the ecological integrity of Assam’s vulnerable forest belts.
The reclaimed areas, many of which lie close to the Assam-Nagaland border, are considered vital for both environmental protection and maintaining demographic stability. The government’s focus includes restoring wildlife corridors, improving forest surveillance, and preventing future encroachments. Local authorities have reiterated that these actions are not just about land recovery but also about protecting Assam’s indigenous communities from demographic pressure and ecological collapse.
As the operation continues, more forest villages are expected to be cleared in the coming days as part of Assam’s largest coordinated forest eviction campaign in recent years.