In a sweeping crackdown led by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the Uttar Pradesh government has launched an extensive anti-encroachment operation across districts adjoining the Nepal border, demolishing hundreds of unauthorised structures spread across a 10–15 km stretch near the international boundary.

The drive, aimed at securing sensitive border areas and ensuring lawful land use, has seen a particularly strong push against unauthorised religious establishments. In Bahraich district, authorities took action against 89 illegal encroachments, while in Shravasti, officials cleared 119 encroached sites, including 17 illegal madrasas.

The crackdown extended to Siddharthnagar, where action was initiated against 11 illegal structures, and Maharajganj, where 19 sites were targeted for removal. In Balrampur, officials identified seven cases of illegal occupation of government land. Of these, two encroachments were voluntarily removed, while proceedings against the others are actively underway.

The Uttar Pradesh government emphasized that the campaign is not only about reclaiming land but also about strengthening border security. "The objective is to ensure that sensitive areas near the border are free of unlawful encroachments, preventing any activities that might pose a threat to national security," said a senior government official.

Adding to the operation’s intensity, the Shravasti district administration announced the closure of seven madrasas due to irregularities in documentation. According to officials, three madrasas located in Bhinga tehsil and four in Jamunaha tehsil were shut down after they failed to submit valid recognition documents.