Authorities in Jammu on Saturday, 3 October demolished nearly a dozen illegally constructed huts on forest land at Rahim Nagar within the Raika Forest on the outskirts of the city, in what officials described as a routine anti-encroachment drive. The structures were mostly occupied by Rohingya immigrants, marking the second major eviction action targeting the community in Jammu within a single month.

How the Operation Was Carried Out

The drive was a joint effort by the Forest Department, the Forest Protection Force, the Revenue Department, and the Police. According to officials, the area in question spans roughly five hectares, and the department had compiled detailed data on encroachments before proceeding. Officials said video recordings of the entire operation were maintained, and only structures formally identified as illegal were razed.

A forest official stated that women and children were moved outside with the assistance of women police personnel, and that occupants were given time to remove their belongings before structures were brought down.

Residents Dispute Prior Notice

Among those affected was Stephen, a native of Jammu, who alleged that the demolition team arrived early in the morning and gave residents little time to retrieve their belongings. He claimed he had not received any prior eviction notice and had been living in the area for the past 10 to 12 years, adding that he had nowhere to go with his children.

The forest official, however, contested this account, stating that occupants had been warned twice within a fortnight before the demolition was carried out. 'The action was not directed against any particular community or group, but was solely aimed at removing encroachments from forest land. The forest rules are the same for everyone,' the official said.

Second Such Drive in a Month

Last month, a Rohingya settlement in the Karyani Talab area of Jammu was cleared after authorities served eviction notices to landowners who had rented plots to immigrants. The back-to-back drives come in the wake of a visit by a Central committee on demographic changes, which was in Jammu from 10 to 12 August to gather data on illegal immigration and related demographic shifts.

Notably, the committee also visited the Rohingya settlement at Karyani Talab during its tour, and its findings are understood to have informed subsequent administrative actions.

Scale of Rohingya Presence in J&K

Government data placed before the committee in August identified 7,656 Rohingyas across Jammu and Kashmir. Of these, 6,737 were concentrated across the 10 districts of the Jammu region, while 919 were identified across the 10 districts of the Kashmir Valley.

The committee was constituted on 26 May under the chairmanship of retired judge Justice Prakash Prabhakar Navalkar to examine demographic changes and recommend administrative and legal measures.

What Comes Next

With the Central committee's report still awaited, further administrative action in Jammu's encroached forest zones cannot be ruled out. The parallel legal and humanitarian questions around displaced residents — including those who claim long-term residency — are expected to draw continued scrutiny from civil society groups and courts.