More than 2,000 families are facing eviction after the district administration launched a large-scale drive to clear encroachments from government irrigation land in the Bakulia area of East Karbi Anglong district on Tuesday. The eviction operation, which began early in the morning, is being carried out on around 350 bighas of land that had been occupied over the years. According to official estimates, over 750 houses had come up on the land, which is officially recorded as irrigation property meant for public use
The drive is being supervised by the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council, with support from the district administration and police. Officials said the operation has remained peaceful so far, largely because many residents had already vacated the land after receiving eviction notices earlier. Authorities stated that eviction notices were served well in advance, giving families time to remove belongings and make alternate arrangements. As a result, a large number of settlers cleared their structures on their own before the administration moved in, helping avoid confrontation.
To ensure law and order, more than 500 police personnel have been deployed at the site. The force includes police from both Karbi Anglong and East Karbi Anglong districts, with senior officers, including the Superintendent of Police, present on the ground to monitor the situation. Officials described the exercise as one of the biggest land reclamation drives in recent years in the district. They said the aim is to restore government land reserved for irrigation and other public purposes and to prevent further illegal occupation.