Guwahati

Encroachment of reserved forest areas and national parks, wildlife sanctuary across Assam has become a major concern as more than 3.14 lakh hectares of forest land are still under encroachment, Assam Forest Minister Jayanta Mallabaruah informed the state assembly on Tuesday.

The Assam Forest Department has informed the Assam Legislative Assembly that 3,14,139.435 hectares of 8 National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuary and 281 reserve forest are still under encroachment.

Replying to a query of AGP MLA Diptimayee Choudhury, Assam Forest Minister Jayanta Mallabaruah told the state assembly that, 17421.5 hectares of land of 8 National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuary and 2,96,717.935 hectares of land of 281 reserve forest are still under encroachment.

The Minister further said that, in 5 years the Assam government carried out massive eviction drive across the state and freed 16,937.2466 hectares of encroached land (1,26,605.92 bighas of land) of National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuary, reserve forest area in the state.

"In 2025-26, the state government freed 4688.34 hectares of encroached land of reserve forest area in the state. In last 5 years from 2021-22 to 2025-26 a total of 5918.14 hectares of encroached land of 8 National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuary of the state," the Minister said.

He further said that a plantation has been created in evicted areas in different parts of the state.

It is to be mentioned that, the Assam Forest department has planned to plant 1 crore saplings across the state in the month of August (by August 14) with involvement of students of Class 9 and above.

In view of the initiative to plant more saplings, Assam Minister for Agriculture, Irrigation, Pijush Hazarika on Sunday also attended the "Ceremonial Distribution of Seeds and Planting Materials" organized by Assam Agricultural University (AAU) at the Horticulture Research Station campus at Kahikuchi in Kamrup district.

Thanking AAU for the initiative, the Minister announced that the Agriculture Department has set an ambitious target to distribute 1 crore high-yielding horticulture saplings across the state.

READ MORE: MEA comes to rescue of Nazneen stuck at Doha airport

Minister Hazarika issued a strong call to the state's youth to embrace commercial farming rather than migrating for menial jobs. He urged them to work hard and find practical solutions to challenges rather than blaming manageable factors like squirrel menace or unverified mobile tower radiation for low yields.