Assam Begins Dhing Evictions to Reopen Waterways as Hojai Forest Drive Nears

Overview

• The Nagaon district administration started a four-day drive on December 16 in Dhing Revenue Circle to dismantle unauthorized embankments and fishponds blocking natural channels.
• Crews began with manual clearing due to marshy terrain and then brought in excavators to speed removal, with work spanning Bherbheri, Roumari and Magurmari beels and nearby villages.
• Officials reported targets of about 105 acres, or roughly 230 bighas, with hundreds of illegal ponds identified; day one reclaimed about 60–63 bighas without major resistance.
• Roughly 250–300 police personnel and more than 100 laborers were deployed, and district leaders monitored operations on site.
• In Hojai, the Forest Department has issued notices to around 1,250 families occupying over 5,500 bighas in reserved forests, with a large-scale eviction prepared to begin to restore the ecosystem.