Assam govt to clear 21k bigha of encroachment in Orang National Park

The Government of Assam will soon carry out a large eviction drive in Orang National Park and clear 21,000 bighas of encroached land, officials said on Monday.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma attended a meeting with top Forest officials along with officers from the police department and district administration on Sunday.

He took stock of the situation and preparedness at the department level to carry out such a large eviction.

According to a senior official: "The Chief Minister stressed carrying out the exercise without any disruption in the law-and-order situation. A detailed discussion occurred at the meeting for coordinating efforts among various departments to conduct the exercise in a peaceful manner."

The exact dates of the eviction are yet to be determined.

Orang National Park is located on the northern bank of the Brahmaputra River in the Darrang and Sonitpur districts of the state.

It was established as a sanctuary in 1985 and declared a national park in 1999. The park has an area of 79.28 square kilometres.

In February, the Assam government carried out another eviction drive in the Burha Chapori Wildlife Sanctuary in Sonitpur district. At least 2,500 families were evicted, and around 1,892 hectares of land were cleared of encroachment.

In Sunday's meeting, Sarma asked the district administration to look after the rehabilitation process of those who were evicted from the Burha Chapori Wildlife Sanctuary.