10 hurt as eviction drive turns violent
Source: Chronicle News Service

Kangpokpi, December 06 2022: As part of the state government's effort to consolidate and demarcate the boundaries of notified forest areas of the state, Kangpokpi Forest Division carried out an eviction drive at Kangchup Chiru Reserved Forest on Tuesday.

The drive led by Divisional Forest Officer, Kangpokpi N Ganesh had the involvement of around 300 forest department and police personnel.

Two houses found constructed illegally in forest area at Kangchup Chiru and one newly developed resort at Phayeng area were evicted during the drive.

Before the drive began, forest officials along with district administration held talk with villagers but could not arrive at any understanding.

Large number of villagers then blocked the road leading to Kangchup Chiru.

As villagers were reluctant to lift the road blockade, police fired tear gas shells to disperse the villagers thereby leading to intense clash between the two sides.

Both the sides suffered injuries in the clash.

Three forest guards and six police personnel suffered serious injuries due to stone pelting by the villagers and they have been admitted to hospitals under critical condition.

A villager too suffered injuries due to tear gas shelling by police.

However, the police managed to take control of the situation and dismantled two houses in Kangchup Chiru Reserved Forest area and the resort in Phayeng area.

Mention may be made here that DFO N Ganesh had on December 2 issued eviction notices for the structures dismantled on Tuesday.

According to a forest official, eviction or-ders/notices were served to the encroachers with warnings not to encroach and to remove all structures erected inside the Reserved Forest area.

Preliminary offence reports were also filed against the encroach-ers and they were given time to take down illegal structures so that eviction drive may begin.

However, the encroachers paid no heed to the notices and instead fresh encroachment was observed.

The department thus had to carry out eviction drives as per provisions of the law, the official added.

Meanwhile, a villager named Alara told media persons that Kangchup Chiru is an inhabited area since early period but the forest department claimed it as reserved forest area all of sudden.

Condemning the eviction drive, the villager urged the chief minister look into the matter.

Meanwhile, a statement issued by Kangpokpi Forest Division DFO N Ganesh informed that the eviction drive in Kangchup Chiru reserved forest area on Tuesday was carried out in sync with the eviction orders/notices served in advance to the encroachers but they continued to occupy the space, which led to the eviction drive.

It further informed that three forest guards and six police personnel were injured during the drive after the locals pelted stones towards them.

Taking serious note on the incident, the DFO appealed to the public to refrain from encroaching in reserved forest land and instead contribute in protecting the reserved forests.

The department will continue such eviction drives to clear out all illegal encroachers and illegal structures, the statement added.

Comment