Lakhimpur: 299 families are homeless in the wake of ejection drive

North Lakhimpur (Assam): The drive to eviction of forest land encroachments in Assam’s Lakhimpur district continued for the second day on Wednesday, affecting 299 families living in an area of ​​250 hectares.

Some of the evacuees lamented that they could not collect all their belongings, while others lamented that their crops were destroyed in the campaign.
The exercise, which began on Tuesday, was being carried out by the state to liberate about 450 hectares in the Pava Reserve Forest, on the first day officials cleared 200 hectares in Mohghuli village, home to 201 families.

“The eviction drive resumed at 7.30 am today. It has been peaceful so far. We have not faced any resistance,” a senior official of the district administration told PTI.

The administration plans to clear the remaining 250 acres during a day-long exercise on Wednesday.
Around 70 bulldozers, excavators and tractors have been pressed into action in Adhasona village, while 600 police and CRPF personnel stand guard along with 200 civilian personnel, the officer said.

With only a few belongings, Hasmat Alam (name changed on request), who saw his house being destroyed, claimed to have lived in the area for 28 years.
“The harvest was good this year. I grew brinjal, cabbage and cabbage and sold some produce in the market. However, about 70 per cent of the crop was destroyed in evictions,” he said.

Officials were seen using tractors and bulldozers to flatten crops.

The diggers also filled in the ponds and fisheries.

The All Assam Minority Students’ Union (AAMSU) termed the eviction drive as “inhumane and one-sided” and staged a brief protest in Sonapur area of ​​Lakhimpur district.
According to the senior official, several eviction notices were issued to “illegal settlers” from November 2021.

“Last year on September 7, we gave the final notice and asked them not to grow crops, but they did not heed. The evicted land remains under flood water in summer and the encroachers only grow crops in winter. grow,” he pointed out.

The official explained that last year, the circle officer of Naoboicha had personally approached the “encroachers” and asked them to leave voluntarily.
Rahima Khatun, one of the victims of this campaign, said that agriculture is their only means of survival.

There is no school or mosque in the area where this campaign was being conducted. These tracts were mainly used for agricultural purposes. Our livelihood is now at stake,” he added.