INDIA, Dec. 1 -- In a massive eviction drive on Saturday, the Assam administration cleared nearly 795 hectares of reserved forest land at Lutimari in Nagaon district, displacing around 1,500 families who had been living there for decades.

Officials said the operation, carried out with hundreds of armed personnel, followed a three-month eviction notice served earlier to the residents.

The government maintains that the move is essential for forest protection and reducing human-elephant conflict.

According to district officials, the residents were initially given two months to vacate the area. Later, responding to local requests, the administration granted an additional one-month extension, making it a total of three months.

A senior off...