Guwahati: A massive eviction effort was conducted in the Sonitpur district of Assam to clear 330 acres of land on Saturday morning.
As many as 50 excavators, huge machinery, and a significant number of people were deployed for the effort to demolish homes in the No. 3 Chitalmari region of Barchalla on the northern bank of the Brahmaputra river.
The process was smooth since practically all of the illegal residents had already departed the property with their goods after getting the eviction notice.
“The eviction drive has so far been without incidents. There hasn’t been any disruption of law and order “Among those in charge of the exercise is an officer, who remarked.
The drive reportedly started at 5 am, and as the majority of the occupants had already left their homes, the buildings are currently being destroyed with the use of excavators and other large machines.
A total of 1,200 security personnel in anti-riot gear, including members of the Assam Police and paramilitary forces, have been stationed at the location.
According to government records, the neighbourhood once housed 299 families, but more than 90% of them have already moved out since they received the notice about eight months ago.
Some of the evicted homeowners bemoaned the fact that the government had not offered them any form of rehabilitation in the meanwhile.
We’ve been residing here for many years. We rely solely on the farms here for our livelihood. We have no idea where we’re going, the woman said.
According to a district administration official, security forces have been patrolling the region since August 31. This has caused the locals to leave the site voluntarily.
“Due to a number of factors, we were unable to conduct the eviction drive earlier. The majority of the populace now acknowledges that this is government property and that it would be utilised for construction projects, the official told PTI.
Gyanendra Pratap Singh, Special Director General of Police (law and order), visited the location and examined the security measures on Thursday.
He said that the property is being cleared because the government intends to build a solar power plant there.