"An encouraging sight": Assam CM lauds anti-encroachment drive in Burhachapori wildlife sanctuary as elephant visits evicted areas

Guwahati (Assam) [India], February 17 (ANI): Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma lauded the government's effort to clear the encroachment from the Burhachapori wildlife sanctuary and said that the move bore fruit "almost instantaneously" as an elephant visited the evicted areas on Thursday evening.
Calling the development an "encouraging sight", the Chief Minister said 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 while also sharing a picture of the elephant.
Earlier on February 14, over 2,000 security personnel including paramilitary, home guards, CRPF, and Assam police were deployed in the Char-Chapori area under Burhachapori wildlife sanctuary to avoid any untoward incident during the course of the anti-encroachment drive which continued till Thursday.
50 Excavators and 30 tractors were deployed in the Char-Chapori areas near the Burhachapori wildlife sanctuary for the eviction drive.
According to the district administration of Sonitpur and Nagaon, a large number of government lands were illegally occupied by encroachers in the area and the administration had already issued notices to them to vacate the lands one month ago.
Around 11,000 were living on the encroached land illegally, but most of them had already left after the eviction notice was given a month ago.
More than 1900 hectares of land around near the Burhachapori wildlife sanctuary had been encroached by 2500 houses, mosques and illegal school buildings.
Earlier on December 26, the district administration of Barpeta district of Assam carried out a massive eviction drive against encroachers.
The anti-encroachment drive was carried out in the presence of heavy security at the Baghbar Satra Kanara area where some people have encroached on nearly 400 bighas of government land. (ANI)