Guwahati, Jan 10: Bulldozers rolled out in Assam’s Lakhimpur district on Tuesday as part of a massive eviction drive to clear over 500 hectares of encroached forest land. Many families, who were residing illegally in the area, have already demolished their houses and moved out.

Over 800 security personnel, including those from the state police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), have been deployed in Pabha Reserve Forest to ensure a smooth eviction drive.

In the reserve forest spanning 2,560.25 hectares, only 29 hectares is free from any encroachment. Hundreds of families have encroached upon the land over the past decades, according to official records. The illegal settlers include people from different parts of the state as well as locals who were displaced due to floods and erosion, sources added.

Around 500 hectares of land in the villages of Adhasona and Mohaghuli is being cleared.