Guwahati, July 8: Tension erupted in Assam’s Dhubri district on Tuesday as violence broke out during a massive eviction drive launched by the state government to clear alleged encroachments on government land.

Security forces faced stiff resistance from a section of residents in the Chapar revenue circle, where over 3,500 bighas (more than 540 hectares) of land are being cleared to make way for a proposed thermal power project reportedly linked to the Adani Group.

The eviction drive, told be one of the largest in Assam’s recent history, is being conducted across Dhubri and Goalpara districts and is expected to affect around 2,500 families. The administration had planned to evict 1,200–1,400 families in three revenue villages of Dhubri on Tuesday, with another operation scheduled in Goalpara later this week to free around 1,040 bighas of forest land, displacing an additional 1,100 families.

Violence erupted in villages including Santoshpur, Charuabakhra, and Chirakuta as protestors clashed with police and government officials. Protesters reportedly pelted stones and damaged multiple earth-moving machines and government vehicles. A senior district official confirmed that an excavator was among the damaged equipment.

To contain the unrest, police resorted to a lathi charge and additional security forces were deployed. According to police sources, the situation has since been brought under control.

Locals, however, expressed outrage over the eviction, claiming they had lived on the land for decades and accused the government of targeting them unfairly.

The Dhubri district administration has defended the move, asserting that the land in question has been under illegal encroachment for years and is needed for critical infrastructure development under the Assam Power Distribution Company Limited (APDCL). Officials have urged residents to cooperate with the drive and warned of legal action against those obstructing the process.

Also Read: Mizoram tops, Longding trails in NITI Aayog’s New Northeast SDG Index

Also Watch

Find latest news from every corner of Northeast India at hubnetwork.in, your online source for breaking news, video coverage.

Also, Follow us on-

Twitter-twitter.com/nemediahub

Youtube channel- www.youtube.com/@NortheastMediaHub2020

Instagram- www.instagram.com/ne_media_hub

Download our app from playstore – Northeast Media Hub