Haldwani, Dec. 8 -- A joint team of the district administration, police and the state forest department on Sunday conducted demolished temporary and permanent structures spread over 20 hectares of forest land in Poochhri village of Ramnagar in Nainital during a major anti-encroachment drive in the district., officials familiar with the matter said. The operation began early morning, with multiple JCBs deployed to pull down mud houses as well as concrete buildings.. Police personnel were stationed across the area to prevent any law-and-order situation, officials said. Terai West forest division DFO Prakash Chandra Arya said around 22 hectares of forest land in Poochhri village under the Upper Kosi block had been under encroachment for years, with nearly 170 families residing there without authorisation. "Following a due hearing process, eviction orders were issued to all families. Around 40 families moved out voluntarily after receiving notices, while about 130 continued to stay," Arya said. "Of these, 40 approached the court and 90 remained on the encroached land. On Sunday morning, a joint team began removing all temporary and permanent structures. Nearly 20 hectares have now been cleared and the forest department has taken possession." To ensure a smooth operation, police prepared a sector-wise action plan. Nainital SSP Manjunath TC said: "Heavy deployment was ensured across all sectors. The entire operation was videographed and monitored by drones to maintain transparency and track any emergent situation," he said. The drive, however, drew criticism from activists and political groups. Uttarakhand Parivartan Party leader and activist Prabhat Dhyani termed the action "inhumane," alleging that the BJP-led state government had shown insensitivity towards the families living in Poochhri. "Even if eviction was required, the government should have ensured proper rehabilitation," he said....