GUWAHATI: A massive eviction drive launched by the administration on Monday against encroachers in Amchang Wildlife Sanctuary near here resulted in injury of four persons including three women as police had to burst tear gas shells to disperse a menacing mob of encroachers attacking a team of forest personnel, district administration officials engaged in the operation carried out as per the directive of Gauhati High Court.
The injured persons were identified as Malati Das, Amina Khatun, Rashida Khatun and Gautom Baishya. The police resorted to teargas shelling after the local residents stiffly resisted the eviction party, a photographer of Forest Department, Utpol Patgiri was seriously injured on being hit by stones thrown by protestors on the eviction party, according to the Director General of Assam Police.
Police claimed that the protestors were instigated by leaders of Krishak Mukti Sangram Samity (KMSS), Bhaskar D Saikia and Dairjya Konwar who fled after police burst teargas shells. KMSS leaders Dhairjya KOnwar, Bedanta Laskar and Gopi Saikia were later arrested from a KMSS office in the city on charges of obstructing government officials while performing duty and for inciting people on false propaganda.
Over 300 houses of encroachers were demolished by the eviction party using elephants and escorted by over 3000 jawans of Assam Police. The High Court has asked the Kamrup District Administration to clear the wildlife sanctuary of encroachers by November 30. Forest Minister Promila Rani Brahma said that the eviction drive would continue as per the directive of the court. She, however, said the flood-displaced people among the encroachers who are being evicted from the wildlife sanctuary, would be considered for rehabilitation by the government.
Amchang Wildlife Sanctuary with an area of 78 square kilometers is located just about 15 kilometers away from Guwahati Railway station in the city heart towards east. It is home to large number of mammals, birds and reptiles. About 750 species of butterflies and 300 species of moths were recorded in the sanctuary as per record of Assam Forest Department. This wildlife area was declared a wildlife sanctuary in June 19, 2004 for protection of the natural eco-system threatened by encroachers.
Some of mammals recorded in the wildlife area included elephants, leopards, sambar, barking deer, Chinese pangolin, flying fox, slow loris, Assamese macaque, Rhesus macaque, capped langur, hoolock gibbon, jungle cat.
Bird species included lesser adjutant, greater adjutant, white-backed vulture, slender-billed vulture etc.
Reptiles found in the sanctuary included python, monitor lizard, Indian cobra etc.