The Assam government has planned to open the traditional path of wild animals from Kaziranga to Orang National Park via the Burachapori Wildlife Sanctuary of the state.
Assam Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma said, “There are around 21,000 bighas of land in Orang National Park which are under encroachment and the state government will conduct the eviction drive to free the encroached land.”
The Assam Chief Minister on Saturday visited the Burachapori Wildlife Sanctuary and discussed with the forest officials and the Deputy Commissioners of Sonitpur and Nagaon districts.
It is to be mentioned that, the state government has freed around 16,000 bighas of land of Burachapori wildlife sanctuary from illegal encroachers.
“Now we are planning to conduct an eviction drive against the encroachers who encroached 21,000 bighas of land of Orang National Park and to free the land,” Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma said.
“In last February, we evicted the illegal encroachers from the Burachapari reserve forest who encroached the land of the reserve forest and 16,000 bighas of land were freed from the encroachers. Today I visited the land and I discussed with the forest officials and Deputy Commissioner how we can make the land greenery so that wild animals can come here,” the CM further stated.
“21,000 bighas of land of Orang National Park are now under encroachment. We also want to free the encroached land of Orang National Park so that, we can open the traditional path of wild animals from Kaziranga landscape to Orang via Burachapari. We have discussed it. The district administration of Sonitpur and Darrang will jointly work on the eviction drive in Orang. I appeal to those who encroached on the land of Orang to leave the forest land and submit an application to the respective Deputy Commissioners of the districts from where they are originally hailing. If you have no land then the government will help you. The people who encroached on the forest land will have to leave the forest land. If they do not do this then the government will take action to evict them from the forest land,” the Assam Chief Minister further remarked.
“Burachapori wildlife sanctuary has expanded by over 16,000 bighas after we have removed the encroachers. In the coming days, we will connect Kaziranga to Orang via Burachapori by undertaking similar efforts,” CM Sarma added.
