‘Encroachers’ asked to vacate by December 19
Tension ran high along Nagaland-Assam border at Rilan village and adjoining areas of Dimapur district Sunday after Assam police personnel and forest officials reportedly came and served final eviction notice, directing “encroachers” to vacate the areas by December 19.
The order dated December 6, 2019 issued by divisional forest officer (DFO), Karbi Anglong West (T) division, claimed that the forest land from FD pillar No. 3 to 15 near Rilan village-Dimapur and Tengnanglangso near Indisen village Dimapur and around FD pillar No. 16-19 near Sensolikum village were encroached.
DFO claimed that the land was well inside the Doldoli reserved forest and also inside the areas of project elephant and Dhansiri-Lumding elephant reserved area.
In another “ejection notice” issued on December 6, 2019, the DFO stated that the alleged encroachers who have constructed semi-permanent and permanent structures, cultivation etc., were causing threat to the existence of bio-diversity including endangered flora and fauna of the area.
Citing approval of the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council and mandatory under Sec.72 (C) of Assam Forest Regulation 1891, the DFO has asked all those who have encroached the areas to vacate by December 19 and to treat the notice as final.
Though there was no report of confrontations, sources said that Assam Police toured some of the areas where they claim encroachments had taken place.
No one from Dimapur district administration could be contacted for comment.