Assam Bulldozers Return to Clear Jamuna-Maudanga Forest

Guwahati: Authorities in Assam restarted an eviction drive at the Jamuna-Maudanga Reserved Forest on Saturday. Teams moved to clear 525 bighas of land in the Doboka area. Twelve bulldozers arrived to finish the job. Officials used loudspeakers on Friday to tell residents to clear out. Some families left their homes overnight. This operation targets 152 families that previously held onto their houses.

These residents secured temporary relief from the court after a January sweep cleared 1,098 families from 700 hectares of forest. Their homes stood while the legal process played out. Now, the district administration and the Forest Department aim to finish what they started. The authorities issued a public announcement on Friday, "asking the affected families to vacate their houses before the operation commenced on Saturday." The drive moved ahead as planned.