Guwahati, May 19 -- The Kolkata bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued a strong directive to the Assam government, demanding the removal of encroachments from a staggering 4,240 hectares of forest land within the Kamrup (Metropolitan) district, which encompasses Guwahati.

The NGT has set a deadline of the end of December 2026 for this large-scale eviction.

According to the official order, the NGT bench comprising judicial member Justice B Amit Sthalekar and expert member Arun Kumar Verma has instructed the Assam Chief Secretary and the Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF) to ensure swift action and submit a comprehensive action-taken report on the complete clearing of the encroached area by December 31, 2026.

The...