60 families living in Adingiri Hills get ouster notices

GUWAHATI: Assam forest department, in coordination with the Kamrup (Metro) district administration, has issued eviction notices to about 60 families illegally residing in the Adingiri Hills located within the Fatasil reserve forest in the heart of the city. The residents have been directed to vacate the land within seven days.According to forest department officials, the reserve forest land, which falls under the Kamrup (East) division, spans approximately 670 hectares. Of this, near about 300 to 400 hectares have been encroached upon by people who have been residing there for the past four to five years, with some families occupying the land for an even longer period. The officials said they had found approximately 50-60 thatched houses scattered in the area. According to recent videos, which have been circulating on social media, the people living there installed a signboard in the area, naming it ‘Kudratpur Ujjal Nagar', claiming it as their own. "When we went to issue notices to the families residing, we also found masjids and madrasas, being constructed in that area," Ashok Kumar Dev Choudhary, the DFO of Kamrup (east) division said. In addition to this, Assam's statistical handbook data of 2024, Kamrup east division has 35329.55 hectares of reserve forest land, out of which 4117.40 hectares are still encroached. Assam is witnessing a large-scale eviction drive being carried out across multiple districts, including Dhubri, Goalpara, and the upcoming operation in Uriamghat, Golaghat. In several areas, the charging bulldozers have already flattened encroachments, triggering varied reactions from affected families. While some have responded with anger and resistance, others have come to terms with the eviction and are quietly vacating their homes.