Special Chief Secretary M.K. Yadav personally inspected the site on Thursday in the presence of senior officials from the Forest Department, district administration, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), and local police.

Drone surveillance was also deployed to assess whether any new structures had come up since the last operation.

"We had earlier carried out an eviction drive in the area and around 55 hectares of land were cleared. At present, 59 households are residing here. All 59 families had approached the court seeking protection from eviction. The court directed that the families could be evicted after serving proper notice," Yadav told reporters.

The eviction drive now awaits a fresh directive from the Gauhati High Court. Following the service of notices, the 59 families filed another petition and the matter is currently under judicial consideration.

A stay order remains in force, which is why structures demolished during the previous operation have remained in their current condition pending a final ruling.

"Whatever decision the High Court gives, we will proceed accordingly. Today, we also used drones to check whether any new houses have been constructed," Yadav said.

The current proceedings are the latest chapter in a protracted legal and administrative battle. In August 2025, the Forest Department launched a large-scale eviction drive at Negheribil, targeting 205 families alleged to be encroaching on protected forest land.

Of these, 146 households were cleared in the first phase alone, with over 50 hectares of reserve forest land reclaimed.

The remaining 59 families approached the Gauhati High Court, and the matter subsequently reached the Supreme Court of India, which on February 10, 2026, ruled in favour of the Assam Forest Department.

Acting on the apex court's directive, the Golaghat Forest Division on February 21 issued fresh eviction notices to the 59 remaining families at No. 2 Negheribil, directing them to vacate within seven days.

Notices were simultaneously served on 11 families at Uriamghat in the presence of CRPF and local police. The families, however, moved the High Court again, resulting in the current stay.

Officials reviewed the ground situation on Thursday and assessed areas identified for the proposed eviction process. Subject to the court's direction, the operation is expected to commence in the first phase of June.

The Negheribil region has remained at the centre of allegations of large-scale illegal encroachment on notified forest land for years, and Thursday's inspection signals that the administration is prepared to move swiftly once judicial clearance is in hand.