{
  "type": "article",
  "title": "Bulldozers roll through five Goalpara villages as 73 homes come down over land dispute",
  "summary": "A district-wide eviction drive in Assam's Goalpara flattened 73 houses across five villages on Monday, with officials citing illegal occupation of farmland and blocked waterways.",
  "content": "Bulldozers and excavators tore through five villages in Assam's Goalpara district on Monday, flattening 73 houses in one of the region's largest eviction operations this year, as authorities pressed ahead with a drive against what they called unauthorised occupation of agricultural land.\n\nFive villages cleared in a single morning\nThe demolition began around 8 am and swept through Harimura, Bhojmala Tengabari, Paschim Bhelakhamar, Kharija Manikpur and Jotsarwadi, all falling under the Matia Revenue Circle in the Krishnai area. Roughly 10 excavators worked alongside JCB machines and bulldozers to bring down the structures, while a heavy police deployment secured the site throughout the operation to prevent any law and order trouble.\n\nAdministration cites illegal construction and blocked waterways\nDistrict officials said the 73 families had settled on agricultural land and built their homes without securing the mandatory change in land classification, a legal requirement before farmland can be used for residential construction. Officials further alleged that the settlements had choked natural drainage channels and waterways that local farmers depend on, disrupting cultivation in the surrounding fields.\n\nNotice period expired before bulldozers moved in\nThe administration had issued eviction notices before Monday's action, giving residents just 24 hours to vacate their homes and dismantle the structures on their own. According to officials, not a single family complied within that window, which left the administration to proceed with the forced demolition.\n\nFamilies left distressed as homes come down\nMany of the houses razed on Monday belonged to families who said they had lived on the land for years. Visibly shaken residents were seen breaking down as excavators flattened their homes. Some of the displaced families said their original homes in the Bagbor and present-day Mandia areas had been washed away by the Brahmaputra river in 2017, after which they bought land in the Goalpara area and rebuilt their lives there.\n\nA divided response from the local community\nNot everyone in the area condemned the drive. Some local residents welcomed the eviction, arguing that clearing the encroached land would protect farmland, restore the natural flow of waterways, and safeguard the livelihoods of indigenous cultivators who depend on that agricultural land.\n\nWhat this means for you\nThe eviction drive is a fresh reminder that unresolved land classification disputes can leave entire families homeless overnight, even after years of settled living.\n\n• Across India: Similar encroachment drives are increasingly common in states dealing with river-erosion displacement. Anyone occupying agricultural land without formal land-use conversion risks demolition with as little as 24 hours' notice.\n• In Goalpara, Assam: 73 families across Harimura, Bhojmala Tengabari, Paschim Bhelakhamar, Kharija Manikpur and Jotsarwadi have lost their homes and must now find alternative shelter. Families who bought land here after losing homes to Brahmaputra erosion in 2017 face displacement for a second time.\n• For farmers in the area: Officials say clearing blocked drainage channels should restore irrigation for surrounding fields. Cultivators who had complained of disrupted farming may see water flow return to normal in the coming weeks.\n• For land buyers anywhere: The case underlines the importance of verifying land classification before purchasing or building, since agricultural land cannot legally be used for housing without conversion.\n\nQuestions & Answers\n\n1. How many houses were demolished in the Goalpara eviction drive?\n73 houses across five villages were demolished.\n\n2. Which villages were affected?\nHarimura, Bhojmala Tengabari, Paschim Bhelakhamar, Kharija Manikpur and Jotsarwadi under the Matia Revenue Circle.\n\n3. Why did the administration carry out the drive?\nOfficials said the families had occupied agricultural land and built homes without the required land classification change, and had blocked natural drainage channels.\n\n4. Did the families get any warning before the demolition?\nYes, the administration had issued notices giving them 24 hours to vacate and dismantle their homes, but none complied.\n\n5. What machinery was used in the operation?\nAround 10 excavators along with JCB machines and bulldozers were deployed, backed by a large police contingent.\n\n6. Why were some of the families living on this land in the first place?\nSome said their original homes in Bagbor and present-day Mandia were washed away by the Brahmaputra in 2017, after which they bought land in Goalpara.\n\n7. How did local residents react to the eviction?\nReactions were mixed; some residents welcomed it, saying it would protect farmland and restore waterways for indigenous cultivators.",
  "url": "https://trendkia.com/en/assam/goalpara-ke-pancha-ganvon-men-buladojara-chala-73-ghara-jamindoja-28963",
  "category": "Assam",
  "publishedAt": "2026-09-07",
  "tags": [
    "Goalpara eviction",
    "Assam land dispute",
    "Krishnai",
    "Matia Revenue Circle",
    "Brahmaputra flood",
    "illegal occupation"
  ],
  "language": "en",
  "site": "TrendKia"
}