Animals were used in protected
forest area in Assam, where authorities want to demolish about 1,000 bamboo and
tin huts
Michael Safi and
agencies
Monday 27 November 2017 15.04 GMTLast
modified on Wednesday 29 November 2017 12.16 GMT
Indian police have taken the
unusual step of using elephants in an attempt to evict hundreds of people
living illegally in a protected forest area in the country’s remote north-east.
Local people hurled rocks at
police who used bulldozers and the elephants in a show of force in Amchang
wildlife sanctuary in Assam state.
The police commissioner, Hiren
Nath, said five protesters were injured in a scuffle after officers deployed
teargas to disperse them.
Authorities plan to demolish
about 1,000 bamboo and tin huts.
The state forest minister,
Pramila Brahma, said the area was an elephant habitat and the unauthorised
settlements were forcing the animals to leave in search of food. There have
been many incidents in which wild elephants have killed people and destroyed
crops after entering villages.
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