Tamrah News Desk | October 19, 2026
Authorities in Nagaon district cleared forest land on the second day of a drive that has displaced more than 1,100 families, while residents reject the encroachment claim.
The Lutumari Longjap Reserve Forest in Assam’s Nagaon district saw the homes of more than 600 Muslim families demolished on Sunday, October 18, during an anti encroachment operation, Scroll reported, citing a senior forest official. Authorities say the land is protected forest. Residents say the state settled them there decades ago.
Demolition Drive Enters Second Day in Lutumari Longjap Reserve Forest
Sunday’s demolition drive was the second day of an Assam eviction drive covering three districts. PTI reported, through ThePrint, that around 500 families were being evicted from the reserve forest and that work would likely continue on Monday. Scroll gave a higher figure of more than 600 families.
On Saturday, 547 families were removed, according to Scroll, which cited government officials. The split was 336 in Nagaon, 152 in Hojai and 59 in Golaghat. Scroll and Muslim Mirror both put the two day total above 1,100 families.
Muslim Families Evicted Dispute the Encroachment Claim
Scroll reported that the families had lived on more than 300 hectares inside the reserve forest for decades. Residents told the outlet their elders worked as labourers for the Forest Department and were settled by the government.
Abdul Noor, a 44 year old resident whose house was demolished, said,
“We were settled by the government in 1974,”
IQNA reported, quoting Scroll. He said 300 landless families received four bighas each.
In June, the All India Union of Forest Working People urged the state to stop the planned eviction. Millat Times reported that the union said residents of four villages, Kandarpa Longjap, Padumoni, Hatijur and No. 9 Kheroni, were settled under the colonial era taungya system and should not be treated as ordinary encroachers.
Mosques Reported Among Demolished Structures
Noor told Scroll that more than 10 mosques, some over 50 years old, were demolished. Madhyamam published a video caption describing a bulldozer demolishing a mosque in the Lutumari area, under the Kampur Regional Forest Division. The coverage reviewed by Tamrah News contained no official count of mosques.
Official Position and Court Background
The official quoted by PTI said authorities completed all legal requirements and obtained clearances before resuming the drive. The official added,
“There has been no untoward incident.”
PTI also reported that several families had already left with their belongings.
According to Scroll, Noor said residents challenged the eviction in the Gauhati High Court but received no relief. Muslim Mirror reported that an earlier clearance in the wider Lutumari area last November affected about 1,700 families.
The drive is part of a wider campaign. Deccan Herald reported that Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said over 160 square kilometres of forest and government land had been cleared since 2021.
Will the Lutumari Eviction Drive Continue?
PTI’s source said the exercise would likely continue on Monday. The reports reviewed did not describe any rehabilitation plan for the displaced families.
FAQs
What happened at the Lutumari Longjap Reserve Forest in Nagaon district?
Authorities demolished the homes of more than 600 Muslim families on Sunday during an Assam eviction drive, according to Scroll.
How many Muslim families were evicted in the Assam demolition drive?
Scroll reported 547 families on Saturday and more than 600 on Sunday, over 1,100 in total across Nagaon, Hojai and Golaghat.
Were mosques demolished in the Lutumari forest eviction?
A resident said more than 10 mosques were demolished. No official figure has been published.
Why did Assam carry out the Lutumari demolition drive?
Officials say the families encroached on reserve forest land. Residents say they were settled there under the taungya system.
Did the Gauhati High Court stop the Lutumari eviction?
Scroll reported that residents received no relief from the Gauhati High Court.
