Assam
,
Hasila Beel
,
Goalpara
Published :
|
Updated :
Assam government evicts over 600 families from Hasila Beel wetland in Goalpara
Reported by
Mahmodul Hassan
Legal Review by
Anmol Gupta
Sourabh Rai, Amrita Chekkutty
Edited by
Anupa Kujur
667
Households affected
4000
People affected
2023
Year started
200
ha.
Land area affected
667
Households affected
4000
People Affected
2023
Year started
200
Land area affected
Key Insights
Sector
Industry
Reason/Cause of conflict
Tourism
Conflict Status
Ongoing
Ended
Legal Status
Region Classification
Rural
Ended
Sector
Industry
Reason/Cause of conflict
Tourism
Conflict Status
Ongoing
Ended
Legal Status
Region Classification
Rural
Ended
1
Summary

The district administration in Goalpara in Assam evicted at least 660 families from what it described as government-notified wetland – Hasila beel. The eviction carried out between 16-18 June witnessed demolitions of hundreds of houses affecting over 4,000 people residing in the area.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma called it a “lawful eviction drive” to clear nearly 495 acres of the wetland that was encroached upon for years. “The drive demonstrated our commitment to protect Assam’s natural ecosystems while ensuring fairness and lawful action,” Sarma [said](https://x.com/search?q=from%3Ahimantabiswa Hasila&src=typed_query&f=live).

Members of the affected communities told Land Conflict Watch that the majority of the evicted are landless, while one third of them are river erosion victims. They claimed that they have been living in the area for four to five decades.

“Many of the evicted people are listed in the 1950s voter list from the same village. At least 70 percent of them are landless, residing in the government land, while paying nominal land revenue till 2018 when the government stopped taking it. Rest are victims of Brahmaputra’s erosion, migrated over the years from an area 300 metres away,” claimed Imdad Hussain, a community representative and a local All Assam Minority Students Union (AAMSU) leader.

Authorities engaged in the eviction drive reportedly claimed that the eviction process followed the issuance of notices in 2023, 2024, and most recently on 14 June 2025, public announcements and banners instructed occupants to vacate the area by 15 June. The evicted people claim that the eviction was carried out without rehabilitating the people.

“Even before eviction, we requested the district authority to rehabilitate people. We requested the same after the eviction through memorandums,” Imdad said. The evictees are now living in fragile temporary shelters as they demand for rehabilitation.

On 22 June 2025, the state cabinet reportedly gave its nod to notify the Hasila Beel area (245 hectares) as a Proposed Reserve Forest (PRF). Visiting the area on 24 June, the Chief Minister stated that the government is preparing a master plan to develop parts of the wetland into an eco-tourism spot.

2
Fact Sheet

Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Demand for rehabilitation

Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Region Classification

Rural

Type of Land

Common

Non-Forest (Other than Grazing Land)

What was the action taken by the police?

How many people did the police detain or arrest?

What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?

Did the person face any violence while in police custody?

If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?

If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?

Legislation under which the accused was charged

Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?

In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?

Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?

Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?

Details of sources (names of accused, names and numbers of any lawyers, names of any police officers contacted)

Status of Project

Original Project Deadline

Whether the Project has been Delayed

Significance of Land to Land Owners/Users

Residential area, Water bodies, Fishing, Agricultural land

Whether the project was stalled due to land conflict

Source/Reference

Total investment involved (in Crores):

Type of investment:

Year of Estimation

Page Number In Investment Document:

Has the Conflict Ended?

No

When did it end?

Why did the conflict end?

4
Additional Information

Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:

Revenue and Disaster Management, Government of Assam

PSUs Involved in the Conflict:

Assam Fisheries Development Corporation Ltd

Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?

No

Name, Designation and Comment of the Government Authorities Approached

Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:

Did LCW Approach Corporate Parties for Comments?

No

Communities/Local Organisations in the Conflict:

All Assam Minority Students' Union

5
Information on the use of criminal law

What was the action taken by the police?

How many people did the police detain or arrest?

What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?

Did the person face any violence while in police custody?

If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?

If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?

Legislation under which the accused was charged

Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?

In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?

Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?

Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?

Legal Supporting Documents

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Author
Reported by
Mahmodul Hassan
Show more work
Fact sheet

Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Demand for rehabilitation

If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?

Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?

In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?

Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?

Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?

Status of Project

Original Project Deadline

Whether the Project has been Delayed

Significance of Land to Land Owners/Users

Residential area, Water bodies, Fishing, Agricultural land

Whether the project was stalled due to land conflict

Source/Reference

JOIN
THE LCW COMMUNITY
Exclusive monthly policy briefs, stories from the ground, Quarterly Analytics report, Curated Expert talks, merchandise and much more.


Support our work.
Sign Up Today
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