March 26: The forest department dismantled around 52 newly constructed huts in Amchang wildlife sanctuary during an eviction drive today.

A team of Guwahati wildlife division, accompanied by the civic administration and city police, launched the drive in the southern range of the sanctuary at Khanapara reserve forest around 11am.

The 78.64-square km Amchang wildlife sanctuary comprises Khanapara reserve forest, Amchang forest reserve and South Amchang forest reserve.

According to divisional forest officer S.K. Seal Sharma, people who built huts after 2005 have been evicted.

“Most of these people who had encroached on the sanctuary are not landless. They penetrate into this property for various illegal activities. This is just the beginning. Very soon, we will evict all the new settlements within the sanctuary,” he said.

The presence of more than 400 people, coupled with risks of charcoal burning and illegal sale of timber, poses a threat to the sanctuary.

According to a forest official, though illegal activities still exist, the scale has dropped significantly.

“After we tightened security, such activities have come down by almost 60 per cent,” he said.

Eighteen forest protection camps will be set up in Jalukbari, Gotanagar, Fatasil, Garbhanga, Kalapahar, Sarania and Hengrabari reserved forests and Amchang wildlife sanctuary to help arrest illegal practices.

To be set up in the hills surrounding the city, the camps will also prevent destruction of forest cover.

The foundation stone of the first camp was laid at Gotanagar reserve forest by chief minister Tarun Gogoi on February 26.

Two of these camps will concentrate on protecting the sanctuary from encroachers.

“The forest protection camps will prevent new encroachment in these areas. Civil work on these camps will begin immediately. Vulnerable areas where encroachment is high have been identified for these camps,” said the divisional forest official.

Forest department and civic administration personnel will jointly patrol these areas to prevent further encroachment.

According to forest records, at least seven hectares of land in Amchang is currently under encroachment.

In 2006, the forest department had decided to set up permanent camps in the vicinity of the sanctuary to strengthen security.

The sanctuary has 10 permanent anti-poaching camps, which according to forest officials, were not enough and five more were required.