Assam CM lauds anti-encroachment drive in Burhachapori wildlife sanctuary as jumbo visits evicted areas

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on February 16 lauded the government's effort to clear the encroachment from the Burhachaproi wildlife sanctuary and said that the move bore fruit as an elephant visited the evicted areas.

The Chief Minister further called the development an ''encouraging sight'', and informed that over 2,000 hectares of land were cleared in the last three days.

''An encouraging sight! Our efforts to clear encroachment from Burhachapori WLS bore fruit almost instantaneously as a jumbo visited the evicted areas this evening. Over 2,000-HA land was cleared in Siali, Lathimari & other WLS areas in past 3 days without any untoward incident,'' Sarma tweeted.

An encouraging sight!

Our efforts to clear encroachment from Burhachapori WLS bore fruit almost instantaneously as a jumbo visited the evicted areas this evening.

Over 2,000-HA land was cleared in Siali, Lathimari & other WLS areas in past 3 days without any untoward incident. pic.twitter.com/w3DxsJWREg

— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) February 16, 2023

Assam government’s massive eviction drive in Sonitpur’s Burhachapori wildlife sanctuary razed illegally constructed schools, Anganwadi centres, and houses within the sanctuary.

The drive which started on February 14 morning amid heavy security force deployment will continue till February 16. 

The administration began its two-day eviction drive at the sanctuary to clear off 5976 bighas of land of encroachment and the massive anti-encroachment campaign was carried out freeing nearly 1,892 hectares of land from illegal occupation.

In the eviction that was carried out on February 14, two villages were evacuated. 

In the Char-Chapori areas near the wildlife sanctuary, approximately 50 excavators and 30 tractors were deployed for the eviction drive.

The Sonitpur district administration claims that encroachers had illegally occupied substantial portions of government land for which notices were already issued to the occupiers instructing them to leave the lands.

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