Photo Courtesy: nenow
Guwahati: Assam Finance and Forest Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah announced a major eviction drive to clear illegal encroachments in the Goalpara district. The state plans to reclaim land across all four forest ranges in the area. Baruah inspected the proposed Nalbari Reserved Forest and multiple encroached sites under the Lakhipur Forest Range on July 20. He claims the move will restore wildlife habitats, protect indigenous interests, and cut down on human-elephant conflicts. Encroachment blocks animal movement routes.
"The objective of the eviction drive is to protect forest land, safeguard the interests of the indigenous people, and restore the natural habitat of wildlife," the minister said. Officials also intend to plant one crore saplings statewide before Independence Day. Separately, Baruah noted that a cloudburst in Nagaland triggered severe flooding across Assam. He stated the government is monitoring the situation to ensure relief reaches every flood-hit family.
Flooding has battered transport networks. The Northeast Frontier Railway suspended services between Simaluguri-Namti Ali and Simaluguri-Selenghat. Routes near Simaluguri are underwater. Officials diverted long-distance trains from Dibrugarh and Tinsukia through the Rangiya-Rangapara-Dibrugarh line. Several local and express trains faced cancellation or short-termination.
NFR is running special services to help stranded passengers. Train 05959 departs Mariani at 8 pm on July 20 and reaches Dibrugarh at 3 pm on July 21. Another special, Train 05832, runs from Rangiya to Mariani Junction between July 21 and July 24. It leaves Rangiya at 7.20 am and arrives at 5 pm. The return leg, Train 05831, departs Mariani at 6 pm and arrives at 3.20 am. These trains will stop at 17 stations, including Dimapur, Lumding, and Guwahati.
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